


Resistenza

by CrimsonCarnations



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Accidental Love, Bound, Capture, Crying, Eventual relations, Forced Bonding, Forced Eye Contact, Gore, Love/Hate, M/M, Mild Gore, Roleplay, Screaming, Torture, Traitor, Violence, WW2 AU, Whipping, gerita - Freeform, pear of agony, roleplay based story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-21 11:08:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3689997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonCarnations/pseuds/CrimsonCarnations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Feliciano vargas was caught mid work day by soldiers and is interrogated by a beautiful blonde German soldier who end up taking him in and taking care of him. In the end they fall in love but are torn apart by fate and war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one

Feliciano smiled slightly as he made his way down the street. Sure there was not exactly a reason to smile. His brother had moved away to take care of his boyfriend, Antonio who had to sit through a lot of torture from the gestapo. Feliciano loved with his grandfather, a man known for little to nothing from the Germans side but in Italy he was the resistance leader. They had to be careful of course but being careful was easy for Feliciano. 

He had been on his way to work, a simple place. He sold artwork and taught art classes to young children, though today he wished he hadn't gone in. When he showed up at work he smiled at his boss, waving at the other Italian, who waved back of course. He sat down and prepared his paints and canvas. Though while in the middle of painting his picture he heard a loud noise coming from outside, shouts and painful screams. 

The Italian nervously stood, though as he did the shop was swarmed with German soldiers and Feliciano was their target. Feliciano didn't understand why, he'd been so careful. Soon, Feliciano was unconscious, being carried away from work by an ss soldier and he didn't even see why. When he woke again he was in a rather dark room, barely lit. He was not tied down but the room was locked. 

Feliciano blinked nervously, forcing himself to his feet. He backed up slightly. Though when the door opened and a blonde German stepped inside, Feliciano backed up into the corner nervously.

He stayed silent as the soldier stepped inside and sat in one of the chairs.

Ludwig marched down the hallway, his boots hammering angry against the floor. In reality he wasn't angry at all, but rather pleased with himself and his men for what they had accomplished; that was simple how he carried himself no matter what scenario he was in. It didn't matter whether he was running a type of boot camp for any of the soldiers that found it appropriate to slack off or on his way to his greatest victory, he always appeared to hate the world. 

At the moment his mood was almost happy, or at least as close to it as he had in a long time. They spent so long looking for one man with no prevail, and now they finally had located someone who may be able to help them. He had to admit that the Italian had done quite a remarkable job of hiding himself. He had given them all quite the amount of trouble, and it had taken more effort than Ludwig had hopped to find any trail. The problem was that the tracks ran cold after this one. They knew no more than that the one they now had imprisoned definitely knew something about their real target. It had taken a lot of resources to come this far, but there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel full of interrogations and endless hours of torture. This one pesky artist could give them what they were looking for. 

Giving a nod to the two guards watching the door to the Italian's room. It was no surprise to see the smaller man cower as he entered the room and took his place on a somewhat uncomfortable chair. 

"Do you know why you're here, Mr. Vargas?" Ludwig growled. His blue eyes, ones of a man who had seen more pain and devastation than a normal man could imagine, narrowed into slits as he leaned forward to rest his chin on his closed hand.

Feliciano gulped softly. He stayed in the corner and shook his head. "N-No..." He replied softly. He was careful. He had made no hints. How could they have possibly found out? He looked at the German, curiosity and fear in his eyes. He knew his requirements. He only needed his military position and his name. He wasn't technically in a military position being that the resistance is not official. He was certain the German knew his name. Feliciano sighed softly, trying to calm himself because he knew his fear would get him no where. Slowly he moved towards the German soldier, though he was cautious. 

"Why exactly am I here? I-Ive m-made no offenses towards the SS." He crossed his arms somewhat stubbornly. His grandfather had told him that even in captivity it is best to remain at least somewhat oblivious. He had to remain strong no matter what Feliciano had been asked. Of course he could remain calm if the ss wasn't aware of his position. He was an Italian citizen in a war where Italy no longer helped Germany so taking citizens hostage certainly wouldn't surprise him and if that was the case he would cooperate.

Ludwig searched the face and actions of the Italian. It was hard to watch his eyes for a flicker of hesitance or lying in this light, but it was best for interrogations. First because it kept the victim more confused and disoriented, and second because the Italian wasn't able to clearly see his face and recall it later if he got out. For the most part it was nothing to worry about, but this one was especially dangerous. 

Ludwig's face remained hard and unmoving when Vargas replied. He hadn't expected an immediate answer. No, things like that needed to be built up to. They could spend some time talking this out and reasoning before anything took a negative turn. 

"A friend, or I would believe ex-friend at this point, of your told an associate of mine that you would be the best bet for finding someone we have been looking for." he replied simply, searching for anything that would give any hint that the clue they had been given was right. Admittedly, it wouldn't be the first time they had been given the wrong information from someone trying to protect their own. He really believed this one though since the man had made it very clear that he would tell them everything he knew if that meant saving the wife and child he had been pulled away from. It was dirty work, but families were the main weakness of any and all opens wounds would be highly exploited if possible. It might be a challenge, but he would have to find Vargas' weak spot. It was either that or make a few of his own.

Feliciano sighed softly. "Well I dont know who you are looking for" he muttered "could you explain anything about this person? Or are you searching blindly? " The resistance member stated, almost with a smart ass tone. He wasn't kidding though. He knew a lot of people that the SS could potentially be after. He himself was someone valuable to be in the Germans possession. Fortunately for him they didn't know. No one knew. Even this ex-friend of his. He always played it off like he was just great friends with Roma. It wasn't safe for it to be known that they were related. Especially to those who could potentially tell the SS. 

The Italian remained a safe distance from the German, still slightly afraid. He had good reason to be afraid after what he had seen. That and if the Germans knew he was resistenza they would try to get what they could out of him. The thing he would do, to protect his elderly grandfather if it came to that, he'd claim he started the resistance. If that is what it took. He would defend his grandfather in that way if necessary.

Ludwig had planned on staying seated for a little bit longer and taking it easy on Vargas, but that tone was unacceptable. He stood slowly, eyes trained on the Italian the entire time. Once standing straight he had to look down to meet the other's eyes. 

"We know that he is very dangerous and that he is filling the minds of your people with nonsense that has gotten a lot of them into very serious trouble." His previously calm voice now carried a hint of a growl of annoyance. The Italian had gone from cowering to calm and collected almost too quickly. Something was up. Ludwig couldn't be sure what it was at the moment, but Vargas knew something. That was the only explanation for the attitude. Everyone who was innocent had clung to that for all they were worth, insisting with fear that they had no involvement. This alone was the only proof he needed to be able to push for answers using whatever means necessary. He continued walking closer, wanting to stab needles into the act that Vargas wasn't afraid. Everyone was afraid of them.

Feliciano stood his ground as the German stood. He listened to the minor description and rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to make another smart ass coment he stopped himself. His eyes widened slightly as the German moved towards him. He stood his ground but he squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away, expecting something more than just the German walking towards him. 

"I-I know a lot of people who drill ideas into my people. Ones that get them in trouble. I'm looking at one" he muttered shakily, glaring up at the German. His glare was shaky and unstable. He wasn't purposely careful here. He didn't feel he needed to be. They had nothing against him. He knew the German's were rather ruthless but he didnt care. He wouldnt give up so much information so easily. He cared far to much for his country and his resitance to tell them what they wanted to hear. He wouldnt let them find Roma. If they knew of him, he'd claim whatever it took to protect him but for now that was unnecessary.

Ludwig growled at the comment. With almost no prior movement to alert the Italian he swung his arm to backhand him, the large ring on his finger being the first and hardest thing to make contact. The force was more than enough to knock the smaller man against the wall behind him. Those sorts of comments would not he accepted here. The resistance this one was putting up was getting to the part where he really needed to be dealt with. Now it was becoming more clear that he did have the fear he needed to make this work, but the prisoner was still strong enough to not show it. That could be changed. 

"We know that you are involved. Someone you once trusted gave is a list of your secrets, this being one of them." Ludwig hissed from his place directly in front of the Italian. That was more of a bluff than an honest truth, but something in his gut told him that this was one of them. This one had something to do with that deplorable resistance. He had been named. He was resilient. He was talking back. And that latest comment only cemented the suspicion. He just needed a verbal admittance that it was so. Then he could report it to the higher ups, after making sure that Vargas wasn't lying, just to be safe. He didn't want to end up like the man who had relayed false information. Personally he didn't believe the blood would have ever come out of the carpet in the meeting room.

Feliciano stumbled backwards, falling against the wall and holding onto his cheek. He stayed on the ground, looking up at the German with a weak glare. It was hard for his eyes not to water but he managed. Feliciano looked down at the ground at the Germans words. He wasnt great at hiding things when he lied. 

"I've got nothing to do with it. All I do is take care of my nonno and paint at the shop. I've never done anything that deserves me being in here. I always have my papers when they are needed and I shop at your markets. What proof do you have that I am involved?" A major portion of that was not a lie anyway. He really didnt do much. In fact really only two of those statments where lies. After he finished he kept his gaze downwards. He didnt want to deal with the German getting angry at him and he hoped that by staying on the ground and only saying what he needed to he could keep it that way. Another thing Feliciano thought about was the word he had used. Most Germans here barely spoke English let alone Italian so he had hoped to get away with that one. He didnt want them to use Roma against him.

"I already told you: you have been sold out. Your life and those of whoever you are trying to protect are worth less than that of a man's wife and son." he stated simply. He was going to keep pushing this until he broke this wall or the Italian made him believe that he had no part in this. He had already sent a handful of soldiers to ask about Feliciano Vargas and see what they could find. Anything and everything more than what he already knew was to be reported back immediately. Anything could be of use if twisted properly. 

"I can promise that things will be a whole lot easier if you comply now. The longer you wait the more complicated and difficult things will get." he took a step back and began to pace around the room. His fingers tapped together impatiently. Not just anyone gets assigned to a session with Ludwig, meaning that he wasn't the only one that believed that Vargas was involved. Not just anyone could put up with the things that the German did. Everyone knew how much he liked his toys.

Feliciano kept his face down. "Not if they save my country" He retorted. "And yes. The first part was a lie. I am much more involved than you will ever know. Because every citizen is involved. Ever since you invaded my country I have been involved. Twist my words around if you must but. Remember that we have hearts and minds too. We helped fight for your country and all we did was sign a treaty. You are the ones harming innocent people on a daily basis." Felciano stated, finally looking back up at the ss gaurd. He stood proudly on his opinion that his country did nothing wrong. They just wanted the war to be over. This gaurd and the rest of them would not be searching for the resistance if they would never have invaded Italy. 

He sighed lightly, pushing himself onto his feet. "It's not my side that needs correction. Its my side that needs freedom"

Ludwig let out a deep sigh. This one really wasn't going to give up any time soon it appeared. Well, fine, that could be changed. He had been hoping this one would be simpler to deal with, but if he really was part of their little resistance then he wouldn't be easy to break. His statements could always be that of a very patriotic man, but to this extent he had to be part of it. Plus, with him having admitted to lying about not being part of it, whether he really was or not he had everything he needed to proceed. 

"Alright then, Vargas. I see that you refuse to take the easy way." He paced over to the chest in the corner, producing a key from his pocket to fit the lock on the box. The hinges cried in warning as the top opened, revealing many manners of torture devices. Some were meant only for work, as they were far too cruel, but others were exact replicas of things he kept at home. That last part was something very few knew about him, for he tried to keep it a secret not meant for ears of his associates.

"Your response to my next question will decide what I pick first." his eyes left the chest to search the prisoner as he spoke. "Do you know the man behind your resistance?" It was a simple question that required a simple answer, but it always turned out to be such a complicated one when asked if the right people.

Feliciano's hands clenched into fists. This would be the point of which he would have to do a lot of lying. "Why would I know that?" He huffed. He crossed his arms and tried to seem like he was telling the truth, like he wasnt afraid. If he was broken he would still lie. He'd claim to be the leader. To save his grandfather. He would claim that if it came to that time but he hoped and prayed to his God that it would not. 

He knew that if he were to confess to being the leader of one of the largest burdens to the SS, he would very likley die here. He would not see the light of another day if it came to that. But. He would do that. For his country, for his freedom, for his family. He crossed his arms and looked nervously as the chest that Ludwig stood before. "I won't learn anything about them with a few little toys. Life doesnt work that way."

Hm, Mr. Vargas was being extremely resilient. The response he got increased his feeling that he was right: there was no straight forward denial. It was a round about way of saying that he wasn't going to answer which meant he probably did. And even if he didn't it was far too late to go back now. Releasing an innocent man after capturing and threatening him would only give them an even worse name than they already had. This wouldn't be the first time they made that mistake. It was a sorry time when they had to shoot a man that was never meant to be there, but it had happened so many time it hardly mattered anymore. They had all managed to block that out and only see it for the greater good. 

They were revolutionizing the world, and little pests like this one were the main thing standing between them and their goal. Only because they were too set on their old ways to see they better one that they were being offered. "

No, but they do tend to bring back forgotten memories." he shrugged. Oh, there were so many things to choose from. At the moment two were standing out from the rest, one being a personal favourite of his. The other could wait for later; it had been far took long since he had gotten the chance to pull his weapon of choice. It was odd to think about how versatile a whip can be. Made out of leather it can be a great addition to the bedroom, but created the way this one was with multiple strands of rope tied into various knots around random hard objects just as rocks, it became perfect for the torture chamber. The whip's ends began to twirls slowly as he made his way back towards the Italian, the rocks clicking together every now and again. Even without the stones a whip was known for severe pain and to even draw blood, with them it was just a little bit of extra insurance. 

"Remove your shirt." he ordered angrily. If Vargas didn't, he sure would. It wouldn't be the first time he had torn a shirt from someone's body, and it wouldn't be the last either.

Feliciano's eyes widened slightly and he back up against the wall again. He gulped softly. His grandfather had warned him not to defy orders in the face of a weapon unless the orders were giving up information, becuase that was a thing they would never do. Of course, Feliciano didnt want to be whipped, especially not by a whip like this one, but he did as he was told and removed his shirt, tossing it to the side. Just to attempt for mercy he kneeled down so that he was on his knees. He had already begun shaking. "A w-whip of any kind is nothing compared to what I have seen." He stated, trying still to seem strong, though his voice was shaky. 

Feliciano wouldn't let this break him. No matter what happened to him, even if he had to confess. His family would be safe and they could survive with or without him. He had a reason to try and a reason to push on. He grit his teeth as Ludwig neared him, closing his eyes tightly. It was how he delt with pain but it didnt help very much, it only prevented him from thinking about it, which did help a little.

How utterly pathetic, Ludwig pondered the himself as he walked closer. Before him was a man who had been trying so hard up to this point to appear strong and certain, yet his voice shook. It would be far braver to act as a coward than to pretend he wasn't. This was pathetic. At least the Italian already know his place: on his knees with his bare back exposed. This would make things much simpler for both of them. Instead of having to beat Vargas to the point of compliance and not have to hold him down, the whip would be the first thing to break the Italian's skin. 

"Wundabar. That means this should be a nice warm up." He raises the strings over his head and swung it down with his full force before quickly snapping it back up at just the right time to to draw blood upon first impact. With the red flesh already sensitive he wouldn't have to bring it down so hard the next time. There were no pauses as he slammed the knots into Vargas's back a third, forth, seventh time. 

"What is your part in the resistance?" he growled as the whip continued, seemingly on an endless loop of blood and pain. Ludwig could do this all day without needing a break. The same couldn't be said for the Italian, but that was the point. There was no rush to this. If at any time the German needed to step out to deal with a human need such as food, he could do so and continue when he was good and ready. Prisoners had no choice in the matter; their life was only as good as the information they surrendered.


	2. two

Feliciano grunted at the first hit, trying not to scream at the others. He remained silent other than the noises of pain he made. He wouldn't let this break him so he simply sat, allowing himself to be beaten with the whip. It hurt and it caused his eyes to water, though he didn't let them become tears flowing down his cheeks. He fell onto his hands to keep himself up, unable to remain only on his knees. 

"I-I'm n-not R-Resistenza" he spat. Though that alone he regretted saying the moment it came out. No one called it that other than the members within it. That's the military rank they were 'assigned' when being trained. If that didn't make it obvious, Feliciano knew he would do just fine in this room. If the slip up he made wasn't caught onto he would be fine and he wouldn't be all that surprised if Ludwig didn't get it. It's not like its to obvious. Really its just resistance in Italian so it may have been expected for him to say it that way. The only problem was the way he said it. He said I'm not resistance, rather than I'm not with the resistance. Though that could be mistaken as a lack of proper grammar for many reasons.

Ludwig took a mental pause although the whip continued to collide with the skin below it. Something about what the Italian had said didn't sit quite right. He wasn't quite sure exactly what it was but something about it didn't sit quite right. He had been speaking perfect English up until right now so what was with the sudden slip up? It it was from the pain then it would have made more sense for the improper sentence to come out even more bent towards his own language. 

No, something about that just wasn't right. The sooner he found out what, though, the better. 

"Is that so?" Ludwig growled. There were no signs in his voice or actions that he was unsure of his suspicions at the moment. He had exactly the same serious and angry demeanour that he wore when he first came in: the first step to this job was staying neutral no matter what happened so that the prisoner could not pick up any signs of your next move. With one last ferocious whip he pulled the now bloodied device back and tossed it on the ground beside the box. The more the Italian spoke the stronger his feeling that Vargas knew more than he was letting on grew. 

There was a temptation to jump straight to the worst things he had to rush things along, but this was the closest they had gotten in a long time. They couldn't kill him just yet; not until they were given the information the needed. Casually he reached into his toy box and pulled another out. His eyes were set on one in particular, but that one had to wait for a while. For now he would settle with the two metal plates lined with dull spikes and attached with a winding spiral meant for crushing fingers. How long would he have to wait before the Italian was stubborn enough to let him use the other?

As the whip kept coming in contact with his skin Feliciano finally let out a soft scream. He fell fully to the floor, giving up on trying to stay up. At the last lash and let out a final pained scream. Feliciano breathed in deeply and whimpered lightly. He sighed lightly in relief that the German didn't seem to catch his slip up. Even the whips didnt phase him as much as the fear of his slip up did. 

After he was certain that Ludwig was done he pushed himself back up at least onto his knees. He whimpered a few times softly before sitting up fully onto his knees again. He winced slightly as he sat up. He took another deep breath. 

"Wh-what I-is that?" The Italian questioned softly, leaning against the wall. He was still in pain but he could question the German fine either way. Other than that he was silent. The more he said the harder it would be to shut up. The harder it would be to keep himself and his position a secret. He was restless, moving every two seconds trying to adjust to the sting of his bloodied back.

Ludwig looked from the item in his hand to the Italian. It was nice to see that Vargas was no longer carrying the fictitious bravery he had earlier. It not only made it easier for the prisoner to show his weaknesses because it wouldn't take as much pain to reach the information, but for himself because he wouldn't have to work quite so hard. There was a small portion of that left but that would be no problem to get rid of, if not with this then the next one. If this one was showing signs of breaking him, he just might just have to end it early to get to the one he really wanted. 

"Oh this? If you cooperate it's nothing." he stated simply, continuing to space slowly back towards Vargas. "If not, it's only a small taste of what you have to come." Suddenly he grabbed at the thin arms, straining and twisting it in a way that would keep the Italian down and from fighting back, and placed the contraption around the fingers, just tight enough to stay in place for now. He stepped to the side and twisted the arm one notch farther so that it would continue to be uncomfortable. He watched the man lying on the floor for a moment before roughly spinning the lever on the device to tighten it and squeeze the metal lumps digging into the muscle and bone. At this rate it wouldn't take long to break them. That was alright because they had a long time and a lot more toys to try before this was over.

Feliciano winced and tried to lean with the German so that his arm being twisted would be more confortable though at his hand being putted inside the machine, Feliciano only panicked more. He tried only once to pull away but at its failure he tried to remain still. The device that tightened around him only brought out more soft whimpers. He tried not to scream again, though it was hard to bite back. He tried to clench for something to squeeze but found nothing to grab at. The Italian began to clench his free hand into a fist, uttering a few words under his breath. Most were unkind words though he did say one thing loud enough to hear. 

"Th-This will only drive me a-away" He muttered, trying in different ways to make it stop without actually begging. That he refused to sink to in front of the SS. Perhaps a regular soldier but never here. He had to be strong here and begging was weak. He could take this pain and he knew it but he also doubted it greatly, which was why he tried so hard.

For that retort he gave the device one quick turn, dropping it a full notch. By this point it would be on the border between excruciating pain and a lot of discomfort. The next one for sure would bring a lot of pain. 

"For every time you do not answer me it will get tighter. For every time you say something smart it will be righted twice, do I make myself clear?" Before the Italian got the chance to answer he tightened it just enough to begin sending pain through his hand and up his arm. 

"Now, do you know who is in charge of your pathetic little rebellion?" the German growled, ready to tighten the device. He was done screwing around with the lesser questions. All they wanted was a name of the man in charge, or at least a better description. He was just hoping that if this didn't work out they'd find something useful on the Italian. If he had any living relatives it would be easy to pull them for his wishes. They always cracked when family got involved. Luckily for Ludwig both himself and his older brother were on the right side of this so they didn't have to worry about it.

Feliciano rolled his eyes and spat towards the German. He bit on the inside of his lip and growled out his reply. "I w-won't tell y-you." He muttered. He didn't care enough yet to give up. Though he was sure that if he did ever give up he'd be sitting through this and much worse until he was dead. That was abother reason to keep this up. It was him they wanted. He was the one who could get them to the real resistance leader and he was the one who wanted them to believe it was him. 

"I-I'm not resistenza!" He insisted, though again with that slip up. From that one he bit back everything else he wanted to shout, eyes widening for a brief moment before he squeezed them shut, cursing under his breath that he made the mistake twice. He cursed in Italian and a few times his curses were not about himself but the German. He kept his words to a minimum, huffing to himself slightly. He kept his eyes closed tightly, expecting the German to do something about his slight fit.

Alright, he wanted to play like that then. Ludwig growled at the act and quickly turned the small crank on the top, skipping the slight increase in pain to the point that the bones would snap under any further pressure. It would have been a lot easier on him if he hadn't spat. Now everything would be increased until he apologized for the disrespectful act. This time when the Italian barked that he wasn't resistance he was certain that it was a slip and a clue. The sudden shock on Vargas' face after it told him so. No matter what he said now, Ludwig was certain he was a part of this. As if the other clue hadn't been enough he now had this as well. 

"You say you're not part of it, but you know who we are looking for. You said you wouldn't tell, meaning you do know. You're part of this. Now, spare yourself the pain and tell me who it is. Your pain and humiliations will only get worse." On top of tightening the device he also twisted the arm further, adding even more pain. He hadn't planning on using this device so quickly, but it was almost through with it's use. A few more times, or even once if he got another sign of disrespect, and this hand would be in splinters. Ludwig wasn't known for his patience, and this prisoner was playing with what little he had.

Feliciano quickly shook his head and bit back a scream. He wouldn't apologize for spitting and he wouldn't apologize for his tantrum. He clenched his free hand into a fist and as a reflex tried to draw back his hand but it wouldn?t budge and it only brought more pain into his hand. "v-vaffancullo" he spat again just as another act of defiance. He didn't flinch this time after words. The German knew now and Feliciano had no reason to hold it back. He had no reason to fear the SS guard because he knew he was going to die. He could feel it within himself that whether or not he said something about what was being hidden he would be offed. He couldn't be allowed to tell about what happened to him.

That and if he did confess he would be claiming he was the leader and that for certain would get him killed. "Y-You m-may h-have c-caught me and I-I am r-resistenza b-but you w-will never kn-know who l-leads as l-long as I am here." He growled. If anyone else was here from the resistance, Feliciano hoped they would remain strong. Roma didn't need this torture and Feliciano could handle it. As long as he said he was the one and they believed him, Roma could continue with the resistance and he wouldn't be hurt.

Ludwig snarled. There wasn't a lot of Italian that he knew, but that filthy little word he had learned long ago from all of those he had chatted with. He untwisted the contraption. If this is how things were going to work then they would need to get something more serious. Plus, they would need to keep bones together for now. They would break him, but it would take time. They could manage time, as long as they would get something out of it. Ludwig tossed the small device back into the chest and sant the heel of his boot deep into the Italian's gut. If it didn't spark some internal bleeding he would be surprises. Bleeding was alright. He could make the Italian bleed all he wanted right now, but bones would come later. Much later. 

"You aren't seeing the full picture. We can keep your here for months. Every day will bring a new level of holle." he grabbed at the pear shaped metal object. "We will give you time to stop your bleeding and we will put your through even worse." the German twirled the object in his hand. "You will live through new pain each day, living on as little food and water as we can manage to keep you alive. The only way to make it stop is to tell me what you know." Seeing as the Italian no longer had a shirt on to grab at, he seized a large handful of hair and dragged him away from the wall to the centre of the room where he threw Vargas onto his stomach. It wouldn't be the first time he had starved someone, slowly torturing them day by day for information. They usually only lasted a couple weeks at most.

Feliciano drew his hand back and held onto it tightly. He whimpered softly as he was dragged away from the wall but he wasnt giving up yet

"A-and if I tell you it wont end. Nothing I can tell you will stop this. I know how this works and I will die either way. Just for being resistenza. S-so v-vaffancullo. Because I would rather die without speaking than die because you knew who I am. I will tell you one thing. I am very important so no matter what you do to me I will not talk. I am important in and out of the resistance so no matter what you do to me you will have people angry at you" He was somewhat grasping at straws, lying about his importance, though hed planned on doing that anyway. He began now. He stayed where the German had put him noy wanting to defy more than he needed to. He didnt look at Ludwig anymore. All he did was keep his eyes closed.

This one was starting to get on his last nerve. He was getting somewhere since Vargas had both admitted to being part of their resistance as well as being important. That was something. This meant it was possible to break him. It went from claiming to not have any part in this to saying that he was so important that his death would only stir more trouble. If he was really that important then his death may be worth the trouble it would cause. He would allow the Italian some time to strew and cool down after this while Ludwig checked to see if there were any further updates. Snatching the handcuff from his belt he quickly looped them through the large metal semicircle bolted to the floor and slapped a cuff around each hand. 

"This tool was originally built to be used on the mouth of liar and blasphemers, but I need you to be able to continue speaking." he explained while pacing around Vargas, occasionally kicking him in the ribs or stomping down on his exposed back. 

"You see, as you twist this end... It expands to dislocate the jaw and tear the skin of the mouth." He paused in front of him, spinning the screw on it to open up the four pedals that expanded outwards with each turn. While continuing to walk around the Italian he closed once more, stopping when he reached Vargas' legs. 

"Luckily there are another place that it can go." Ludwig crouched to grip a leg of the Italian's pants and pull them down just enough to expose him. It was already a fairly large object as it was, and it opened to be three times it's original size. The damage it did to the mouth was terrible, but he wasn't sure which end he pities more.

Feliciano grunted and wimpered at each kick, he and stomp, voughing a few times. It all hurt so badly and he desperatly wnated to cry. At being handcuffed to the Ground Feliciano looked back up to the German. He listened to what the male said and watched him explain the device. He could tell what the German was going to do and he wasn't sure how he felt about that thing going inside of him. He looked away as the German circled him, whining at how he was grabbed at and his pants were pulled away. Normally he didnt mind being half naked but he knew that this was not a good reson for it. 

He bit back his comments now. He knew that the German had heard far to much from him and it would be safer if he just gave up and shut up. But he couldnt do that either. He was far to stubborn for allowing the German to get him to shut up. He wouldnt break and he would try not to bend, though he was very close to point. He uttered a few words before finally lowering his head to the ground and waiting for the German to make his decision. 

"You know. I could be lying when I speak. You have no proof of my truths or my lies. Why question someone who you dont know will tell the truth."

"Even a liar will slip up eventually, and when we get our hands on another one of your friends we can compare their information to yours. Don't think there is anything you can say to change my mind that I haven't heard before." Ludwig had watched the Italian lower his head, expecting some sort of defeat. Instead Vargas decided to open his big mouth and question his motives. He had been offered every reasoning and excuse possible, so nothing could catch him off guard or make him question his judgements. He knew what he was doing and what he was he was fighting for. His German associated were in the right here and those who opposed them would see that soon enough. 

"I suggest you relax." he advised noticing how tense Vargas after having his pants pulled down. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere he drove the cold metal into its snug position. It was too large to ever slide in easily so it took a lot of force, and it was always worse when the custom was nervous. To make Vargas feel even more uncomfortable with the device, as well as to simply prove that he was completely in charge, Ludwig fiddled with the position for a moment. Twisting, pulling and pushing on it took only a few muscles for him and had absolutely no affect on the operator. From previous experience he knew that it was a very different for the one who had been stuffed with the device.

Feliciano grunted again, letting out a soft and short scream as it was placed in position. His head shot up again as he did so, wimpering and groaning as the device was adjusted. He clenched his hands into fists and bit down on his lip. He was done talking now, for sure he was done talking. About anything. The resistance. The war. Everything. He was done and through. He dropped his head back down and bit back tears. 

The device alone hurt to be where it was and he knew he wasnt done yet. He nearly uttered another word but he stopped himself before he managed. He didnt understand how someone could sit through putting another human through pain. He didnt understand how the SS could do what they did at all. Feliciano could never harm ankther human. He always said no at the meetings to violence. He hated violence. Of he had the option he wouldnt even be in the resistance. The only problem was his grandfather. He did it for him and he sat through all of this for him. The German had threatened that...and Feliciano would do whatever it took to protect his family.

Well, it hadn't been hard to get a reaction using this. Perhaps he should have started with it. Then they might have gotten somewhere already. Oh well, better late than never. 

"Same rules: if you do not answer it goes once. If you try to be brave it goes twice." he growled, continuing to grow rougher with the way he moved it. "Oh, and if you're like the others and you find some sort of sick pleasure in this, I have tools to fix that permanently." There was nothing worse than having to clean up a disgusting mess at the work place where everyone began to wonder what exactly had happened. After only one time everyone began pinning him as some twisted pervert. Admittedly some of his kinks weren't exactly normal, but those were for home and never for work. He was a completely different man in the bedroom than any other aspect of his life. 

"Do you know the leader of the resistance?" his voice was loud and demanding. When no answer came he turned the handle once to crack open the pear. 

"Whether we take a break when you finally give in or this is all the way open and ripping your insides apart is only up to you. Now, do you know the one leading the resistance?" he growled again, preparing to twist it yet again.

lia Feliciano's eyes were watering at the first twist. He gulped softly and nodded at the German's question. He didnt say a word but he nodded and that was enough in his own mind to answer the question. He figured that Ludwig knew he did already, he just needed admitance and that was all Feliciano gave. It was all he would give. Yes, It already hurt enough to where he would nearly break but he didn't want it to get so large that he began to beg. He refused to beg. He refused to open his mouth again because no matter what he attempted to say, it seemed much worse than the original thought he had in mind. That and if he spoke again he would very likley say something he regretted. Something that would either give himself away or hint at things he didnt want to say. 

Another thought crossed his mind. What if the gaurd didnt believe him if he were to claim he was the resistance leader? It would be such a big lie it may be to hard to believe...though maybe if the German knew his reason behind lying, maybe he could convince Ludwig to go through with it. To say it was him as well. That would be the one time he would beg.

Ludwig growled at the constant silence. It didn't matter that he was nodded, the Italian needed to give a verbal conformation. There were rules to this sort of thing. The first one was to never give into a prisoner, no matter what they said or did or tried. "Sprechen!" he yelled and stomped on Vargas' foot just before expanding the device by two twists. 

"New rule. Silence is zwei. A smart remark is vier. Understood?" He let out a long breath. He never understood how people would keep their lies up this long. If he was being the one tortured he would do the same, but only because the pain for telling secrets to the enemy was far worse than anything his captors might think of. 

"Now, do you know the leader of the resistance personally?" he hissed, already toggling the handle back and forth to mess with the Italian. The last word was added this time to get a little more specific. Each question asked would narrow down the result more and more. For now they were simply yes and no because they were easier to force out when breaking someone. When Vargas had enough they would more on to more detailed answers.

Feliciano didn't want to speak. He didnt want to give the German that satisfaction but he couldn't deny the German either. 

"Y-Yes!" Feliciano nodded again, whipering at how he turned it. He tried to pull his foot away and winced at feeling the Germans boot on it. "Y-Yes I-I kn-know h-him" Feliciano s  
aid softly. He bit back a soft whimper though it came out anyway. Other than replying he remained slient. He didnt enjoy how he toggled it around. It hurt and it stung just a bit. 

"P-personally." He didn't know if that was enough for the German alone so he added the final part to confirm what the German wanted to hear. He was going to admit to being the leader so of course he knew himself personally but that wasnt a lie either way because he did know his grandfather personally. He didnt know what the German would think of his answer, whether he believed it or not but he was afraid of the gaurd. He was in pain and he couldnt handle pain.

Well, it was about time. Ludwig let go of the pear but didn't move quite yet. There were more questions and they were going to get harder and harder to answer. That was alright, because he really didn't mind doing this. It was an excellent way to release some stress, even if a stubborn prisoner was an all new level of stressful. 

"Good! Now was that so hard?" he tilted his head curiously, watching the Italian. This device really must be as painful as it sounded since it managed to break everyone that he used it on. That and he wouldn't his rear stretched and torn either. 

"Will you tell me who it is?" he asked calmly. He didn't move from his spot but his hands were in his lap instead of on the device. Hm, he had never decided on what a refusal would amount to. That was a direct insult to him and his capabilities so it could count as a smart remark. Percy then: each no would receive the same four turns that a growl would. It would speed up the process quite a bit so he would be able to leave the pained Italian alone sooner while he went to go question some fellow Germans on what they found. Their best men were working on it, so he would be shocked if there was nothing yet.


	3. three

Feliciano's eyes softened. He bit back a whimper and nodded a third time. "S-Si...er...y-yes...i-i can t-tell you wh-who i-it is..." He mumbled softly, clenching his hands into fists. He wasn't sure if he should say it yet. The German had pulled away and wasn't toggling the object at the moment and it would be messed with if he didn't answer. He was shaking and his eyes began to water, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I-It's m-m-me..." he managed finally. His voice shook and he tried desperately to sound as if he was telling the truth. He couldn't let the German think he was lying and if it was obvious he would figure out something to make a deal with the German. He would beg that if he told him the truth he wouldn't hurt him. His grandfather meant the world to him. He couldn't let the SS harm him in anyway. He would feel terrible if something happened due to his own weakness. He felt so weak for even admitting that, he couldn't let them harm Roma too.

Ludwig's angry and serious demeanour broke into a smile when Vargas agreed to tell him. It had taken some work but it had been far easier to break him than expected. To think that he had put up such a strong front in the beginning, only to be broken by this. The device still had a ways to go before it was completely opened and the Italian was putty. When the Italian followed up by telling him who it was he smiled for a moment before realizing what was said. 

"You, artist, you are the leader? What a load of Scheiße." there was a hint of a chuckle in his voice. There was no way this pathetic little thing was behind the entire resistance, all of their troubles and pains. "I know men at the bottoms ranks of your resistance who made it through this torture without opening their mouths, and where whipped without anything more than a slight grunt. There is no way they would allow their leader to be someone so weak and easily broken." he quickly spun the device a number of times. He didn't even count how many, just as much as he felt were appropriate for the lie. A leader would never be broken so easily. The leader would not cry the way this one was, and he would sooner die or pin it on someone else. Ludwig was positive that Vargas knew who it was, and if it was personally he highly doubted that he would give him up very easily. Whatever had to be done, he would be more than willing to do it.

Feliciano screamed and clenched his fists again. "I-it. I-i...h-he's m-my...I-I c-cant...h-he'll d-die..." Feliciano was a mess. He knew he had to tell the German the truth now. He had to beg for them to believe that it was him so that his grandfather would be safe. "P-please...I-im n-not e-entirely lying....pl-please. I-I'll tell y-you....b-but y-you...y-you h-have to t-tell th-them I-its me! F-for....m-my n-nonno! P-please! I-id do a-anything to p-protect h-him! H-hes o-old and h-he w-wont be able to s-sit th-through p-pain! Y-You c-cant hurt him! T-take I-it o-out on m-me! P-please!" The italian was blabbering, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He was in pain and afraid. He wasnt even afraid that he would be hurt worse. He was afraid for Roma. Feliciano knew that the Roman would never be able to handle such pain."p-please."

Well, wasn't this curious. It had been rather easy to get the truth out, but Ludwig wasn't quite sure how to react to the plead. He had a Großvater of his own. The man was dead by now but he still understood how the Italian might feel about it. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just take Vargas as the leader and let the real one continue with the resistance. They would have his head if they ever found out that he let the real one get away, especially if he knew exactly who it was. Even worse than his head, they would put him through worse tortures than he had ever done to anyone else. Ludwig stood and walked around to crouch down in front of him to meet the Italian's eyes. 

"What would you have me do? Lie to my superiors? Anything I have done to you will seem like a gift compared to the things they will do to us when they find out. If I say it is you, the resistance will continue and I will have to continue looking for him until someone else gives me his name." In a way the German wanted to reason with Feliciano, understanding his pain, but it simply wasn't possible. He had been doing this for far too long to give up.

Feliciano sniffled lightly. "N-no...b-but...c-cant y-you d-do s-something? L-like I-if you b-bring him I-in...h-he'll b-be w-weaker a-around me...s-so u-use m-me. D-dont hurt h-him h-hurt me. It'll h-have effects w-worse th-than h-hurting him. P-please t-tell m-me there is s-something you c-can do. a-anything. p-please. I-id d-do a-anything. P-please." He begged and begged, trying to make himself understandable through his stuttering. He was desperate. 

He really couldnt bare to hear of his grandfather dying and he wouldnt let that happen. He would do whatever it took. Even if it meant he would die. Besides. His grandfather really would be weaker if rather than hurting him they hurt Feliciano. Whatever they needed from him. If Feliciano was the one they hurt, he knew Roma would do what they asked. They loved eachother. Ever since Lovino left and Feliciano's mother died, it was just them. That was all they had and it was all they needed.

That was a surprisingly good idea. They could bring his grandfather here and force him to watch as they tortured his grandson. If that would get him to cooperate and promise to call off the resistance it just might work. If it didn't they would have him already and could simply kill him off. They knew it was him, so they had all the power they needed over him. Any little rebellion and they would be at the old man's good. It was the plead of a man who had reached the end of his strengths. Trying was the least Ludwig could do for him. Without another word the German marched out of the room. 

"Bring me Mr. Vargas' grandfather. Do not harm him. Leave that for me." he barked at the first guard he found standing about. The smaller guard nodded and hurried off. With that taken care of Ludwig returned to the room, plotting his next move. Would he really meet the wish of the Italian man and not harm the one who had caused them so much trouble? Getting his total surrender and setting him free might be even better since he could tell all of those under him to stop. Simply killing him would drive the others to find a new leader and rise up even stronger than before. He closed the door behind him on his way in and looked over the Italian chained to the floor. To get this to work they would need to make the old man really see his grandson in pain. The pear would stay, that much had been decided. What he had yet to decide was if he would continue with that to torture Vargas upon his arrival or use something else. 

"If you try anything, he will get the same treatment." the German hissed a promise.

Feliciano watched him, nervously shaking in fear that they wouldnt do as he asked. He couldnt watch his grandfather be harmed but he would refuse to leave if he was still here. When the German returned Feliciano stared up at him, nodding at what he stated. 

"I-I w-won't." Feliciano said softly. "I-I S-Swear" he couldnt now. It would be against his word and he would never go against his word. He wouldnt dare anyways. He cared far to much for his grandfather to do such a stupid thing. He began to unclench his fists looking up at Ludwig with slightly less hate and fear than he had been this entire time. If Ludwig was sure that Roma was going to be alright, perhaps Feliciano could calm down but for now he would have a hard time. He was finding it hard to stop crying as he was in so much pain and he was terrified. He knew how stubborn his grandfather could be but he would sit through the pain as long as Roma was safe.

"Good." Ludwig nodded. This was an extremely weird position to be in right now. A German SS officer was making a deal with an Italian rebel to save the leaver of the resistance. His boss would have his head if he ever found out. Not his head, his more valued parts, and he would make the guard watch as he removed the piece. That was something he didn't want to happen. The question then was whether to follow through with the deal or do as he was taught and kill them both. All this time had been spent hunting to kill the leader, and now that he had him he was supposed to leave him alone. 

"He'll be here soon. Just cooperate and it will be alright. It sounds bad but if you exaggerate your pain he should give in sooner and it will be over quicker." This was more stressful than the actual hunt. There wasn't much time left to make his decision. It would probably be made once he saw the old man. The Italian grandfather's appearance and attitude would choose how things played out. In a sudden idea Ludwig walked back over to Vargas and completely removed his pants and shoes, leaving them in a corner with the shirt. If they really wanted the man to feel for his grandson, his humiliation would be the first key.

Feliciano nodded. "I-Im s-s-sure h-he'll c-cooperate wh-whether I e-exagerate or not" The Italian said softly, not moving when the German pulled what clothing he had left off. "B-but I-ill t-try." He said softly. He wouldnt yet though. The italian didnt want to do anything more until his grandfather was here and he was sure that the German was telling the truth. He would kick and scream and do whatever he could if the German had lied to him. If even a hair on Roma was hurt, Feliciano would freak out. He would try so hard to do something about it, even if it got him killed. Feliciano closed his eyes for a moment abd sniffled lightly. He desperatly hoped this would work, though he knew for certain that getting Roma here and calming him down enough to talk to him, to tell him that it would all be alright. That Feliciano just wanted to protect him. He had failed at that part...and now a thought came to mind...what if Roma began to hate him and blamed him...and...what if Feliciano only made Roma more stubborn. He prayed that that wouldnt happen. He needed to remain positive.

The German sighed and sat back down in the chair, keeping a close eye on Vargas. The war was still ranging in his mind. There was no denying he and everyone else feared their superiors. There were people whose ranks were below Ludwig and they feared him, just as he feared anyone above himself. There were so many things they could do to him, including sending him to a camp. There were things they could do to him that was the very definition of a nightmare. It wasn't a pleasant situation to be in. His train of thought was cut off by a knock at the door. That was actually easier than he had expected. The old man really not have put up a fight, and been rather easy to locate. The sooner they finished this the better. The very thought of what might happen if he was found out was giving him chills. 

"I am watching you closely." he hissed in a low tone towards the Italian before standing up and pushing his chair against the wall. "Come in." he called, summoning the guard and the old man into the room. He went back to the chest and picked the whip out. That should push any grandfather to the brink. Just as the door opened Ludwig cracked the whip.

Feliciano watched as the door opened, flinching at the sound of the whip cracking. He clenched his hands into fists, shaking in fear. He didn't want to be sitting through this at all but he had to. He would do it for his country, because as long as Roma didnt say anything about the Americans then everything would work out. He couldnt watch the door open. He couldnt look at either of the two who made their ways into the room but he knew who it was. 

The Roman hadnt put up a fight because he knew that he had to be careful. He sat where he was told to sit and was calm about doing so. He didnt realize until he was already down in the chair that his grandson was the one on the ground in front of him. Roma growled and turned his head towards the German. 

"What have you done to him?! Why is he here?! Let him go!" He wasnt even here two minutes before he was shouting, angry, and pepared to fight this ss gaurd. Feliciano panicked slightly and looked up at the Roman. 

"N-Nonno...sh-shhh p-please be c-calm" He said softly, barely audible looking away again. He couldn't look at either of the men in the room now.

Ludwig sighed at the sudden outburst. It had been going so well up until that point. He nodded to the other, insuring that it was alright to leave. Everything was perfectly under control, and they could only really begin once the three were alone. 

Once the door was closed he cracked the whip once again to get everyone to settle down. The old man sure didn't seem as weak and frail as Vargas had made him sound. 

"I know who you are, but your grandson here said that he would only tell me if I promised not to hurt you. So, until you agree to end the resistance you get to sit there and watch him slowly die. Understood?" Ludwig drive the heel of his boot into the Italian's torn back to prove his point. If the Roman tried anything to stop him he would be quickly restrained. The only way he wouldn't get hurt was if he cooperated. Any signs of a fight would end poorly. It would break the deal he had made with Vargas, but he had been expecting a decrypted old man who could barely stand on his own.

Roma's eyes were widening and he looked down at Feliciano, who winced and whimpered softly. Roma didnt stay in the chair long. He quickly pushed himself out of the chair, onto his knees and towards the two and pulling Feliciano towards him as best as he could without hurting him. He was aware of the restraints in the ground and that made this more difficult but he didnt care. 

"Dont you touch my Feliciano! You bastard!" The Roman growled angrily. 

Feliciano shook his head and pushed away from the Roman, trying to push him back but being far to weak to do much. "F-Fermasi n-nonno. F-Fermasi" Feliciano whispered softly, shaking his head furiously. "Prego appena ascoltarlo, nonno. Per favore." The italian said softly, causing the Roman to sit back slightly, remaining on the floor and glaring up at the German. 

"What exactly do you want?"

Ludwig had been more than prepared to lunge forward and subdue the man when he moved. He even flinched, ready to jump right in, but stopped when the Roman did nothing but drop beside his grandson to cradle him. He would have to be removed to continue with any punishments, but as long as everyone was behaving that wouldn't have to happen. Just to he safe the German moved a chair in front of the door, wedged under the doorknob, to keep them from being interrupted. Getting caught making a deal would end bad for all of them. 

"We want you to end your resistance. You will not fight anymore. You allow Germany to do as they wish with your land and you do nothing about it. It's really that simple." One thing that he was certain of was that the old man expulsion take a lot more than Vargas had said. If things got out of hand he would have no issues with putting them both in their place. The only reason he had put up with the little outbursts was to gain their trust and cooperation. For this to work they needed to believe that he would uphold his end of the bargain, and that would only happen if they didn't think he would harm the Roman. It really would be so much easier to shoot them both right now.

Roma glared at the German. It was far to late in the war for something like that. The Americans were on their way now. Feliciano shook his head as he sat up partially, wincing from the pain he still felt from the device that still remained inside himself. "Liberta per il Paese e molto piu importante." The italian didnt care if he got hurt for speaking or for his grandfather saying no. As long as Roma was safe he didnt care. 

The Roman sighed softly and moved a bit of the Italians hair away. "I think that you and I can talk without Feliciano in here. I'll cooperate but he's to young to understand a few things I need to tell you." The Roman truly would never tell the German the answers, nor give up on his resistance. He didnt plan on it, but he didnt like this 'deal'. Feliciano didnt need pain, or any of this. He stared up at the German, holding onto Feliciano's hand. 

"N-nonno?" Feliciano questioned, looking at the German. He doubted it was over already. Even if Feliciano was tied down and being beaten now, Roma would only lie to protect him. He loved Feliciano but he knew what was important. He had to protect the country as well as Feliciano, so lying was his only option now.

Ludwig cocked a curious eyebrow. The prisoners were attempting to take control of the situation. He had already followed along with Vargas' idea to bring his grandfather to talk. The whole selling point of that had been that the Italian would take any torture for his grandfather. This new idea was complete mayhem. With death in his eyes he knelt down to be at the same level as them. 

"He is old enough to hear anything you have to say." he snarled. There was no way he was about to loose his control over them. Right now his main card was Vargas in his possession. Giving that up, he could have nothing to manipulate the Roman with. "And you had better start saying it soon or his torture gets worse." Using the Italian was the only thing keeping him from kicking the old man in the face. Whatever they were planning, he would have no part in it. They were under his rules and anyone who tried to push that too far would quickly discover exactly what they had chosen to deal with.

Roma growled slightly at the German leaning defensivley towards his grandson. He didnt have the patients to deal with the German. He huffed slightly and crossed his arms. That plan wouldnt work. Roma quickly tried to reasses the situation he was currently in. 

"Why is an SS gaurd upholding a deal with a resistance member? Arent you worried for your own life?" He was trying to manipulate the situation and bend it in his favor. He wouldnt give in and he wouldnt let Feliciano be harmed. "Why not take your anger with me out on the right adress? Feli has done nothing that I have seen to deserve the pain that I do. So why listen to a mere child?" The Roman stated, trying not to insilt his grandson but knowing that it was one of the best options. 

Feliciano didnt look to offended because he knew that the Roman wanted to be in as much control as possible. He didn't want Ludwig to harm him though so Feliciano shook his head. "I-I'm n-not a ch-child! I kn-know wh-what I am d-doing" he grumbled softly. "D-dont l-listen to h-him. P-please"

This was becoming a real pain to deal with. Putting then together may have been a poor idea. Then again their bickering could be used for his own good. They both wanted to take the pain for the other. There were a lot of different ways to twist the situation. Dear oh dear what to do now. It was more like having a therapy session than trying to get information. There was always hope of getting this to turn around. While rolling his neck to crack it Ludwig straighten up to tower ofer them. 

"I agree with Vargas. He isn't as old and senile as you are so I'll take my chances with the fresher mind." he stated cooly. He pulled on the gun resting at his hip and cocked it, as he had done so many times previously, before aiming it at Vargas' leg. "Now, unless you want a bullet in your precious grandson's leg you will release him and sit quietly against the wall." It would be easier to get the man to talk by using his main weakness than by actually torturing him. As long as they were both under his thumb he had everything under his control. Until one of them tried something stupid he had them both by their necks. They would dance for him, or watch the other filled with screams and pain.

The Roman growled slightly and stood, backing up to the wall and sliding back down. He wouldnt deny the fact that he was old and 'senile' though he knew that was not true. He didn't like being so far away from Feliciano with this German under control of them both. He couldn't protect him from where he was before let alone from so far away. He leaned against the wall and glared darkly at the German.

Feliciano pushed himself up a bit, looking between his grandfather and the German. It worried him that he had to remain so far away because Feliciano knew what that would cause. Ludwig wasn't on the Roman's best side and it worried Feliciano that he wasnt being held down, being that the moment he was in trouble Roma would break all the rules he had been given and he would do something about it. Feliciano feared that exactly. Not what Ludwig would do to him but what Roma would do because of it.

It appeared that the Roman was beginning to learn his place. Well, it was about time. This whole argument could have been avoided if only he had listened from the beginning. No point is complaining; he got what he wanted: the Roman was following orders and Vargas was under his boot, literally. 

"Now, I need your word that you will call off any forced you have before I let either of you go." Ludwig placed a foot on the Italian's back, pushing him back onto his stomach. He slowly increased the pressure, squeezing Vargas' rib cage and making it harder to breath with every passing second, all while keeping direct eye contact with the older one. 

"Once I have your word that there will be no more rebellions I will let you both go, until then his punishment increases constantly. Oh, and don't think of making a promise and backing out. We will have eyes on you at all times." By this point he was pressing so hard with his foot that it would be a miracle if Vargas could get more than a could short gasps for air. The German's eyes never left the Roman, and the pistol remained in his hand. It shouldn't be hard for them to figure out that there was nothing they could do. Ludwig was in complete control here. If they didn't like it, that was too bad.


	4. four

Feliciano whimpered at first gasping by the point which the German was done talking he was gasping for air, though it wasn't helping much. He clenched his hands into fists and grunted softly. 

Roma began to push himself off the wall again, shaking his head and holding himself back from lunging at the German. He bit his lip roughly and clenched his own hands. He couldnt say yes to such a request but he couldn't watch Feliciano sit through pain either. He couldn't hold back from moving away from the wall. 

"C-Consto! L-Leave h-him a-alone. p-please! S-stop!" He practically screamed. He made it towards the others, attempting to pull the German off of his grandson. "F-Fermasi! C-consto! P-Per favore! G-Get off o-of h-him!"

The moment the Roman was on his feet Ludwig was preparing for a fight. It was obvious that the old man was asking for one by the way he stood and the look on his face. Well, fine then. He had tried to play the nice guy, but now the German was done. No more deals. No more promises. 

As soon as the Roman's hands touched him, Ludwig roughly shoved him into the wall behind him. Immediately after he pulled the trigger, firing a bullet into the man's foot. That was he was unable to attempt the same thing again. Just to make it fair and stop the Italian from complaining about it, he fired a second bullet this time into Vargas' foot. 

"Do not try that again. Sit there and behave or things will get much worse." he growled. He hadn't lost control yet, they were just going to start playing by different rules. It didn't matter who it was, anyone that acted out was going to get punishment. People can never simply do as they're told. They always have to try pushing their luck.

Roma grunted softly, wincing and gasping before the bullet even touched him. The Italian wasnt lying when he said that the Roman was old. When the bullet reached his foot he gasped loudly and bit down on his lip to hold back a scream. Screaming was a natural reaction but Roma wouldn't give the German that satisfaction. 

Feliciano, however, screamed loudly at both bullets. The first, he screamed out 'nonno!' The second he only screamed. He clenched his hands into fists and begun to shake again. He was running out of tears to cry but they still found themselves and flowed down his cheeks. 

Roma's expression with the German changed dramatically and he nodded, using the foot that hadn't been shot to push himself back so that he was fully against the wall. He wanted to cry already, not from his own pain but from the pain he knew his grandson was in. But he refused to cry. Not in front of the SS. He wouldn't lose his grandson so he shut up. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't protect Feliciano from here and he couldn't say yes to the things the German wanted him to.

It was about time that they settle down. That last little stunt had taken the last of Ludwig's patience away. That was not at all any part of the deal. They would have had to behave to have that followed through, and they broke it. With the Roman now injured and behaving so that no one would end up with another bullet he paced back around the shivering Italian's body. The gun remained in the German's hand, just in case, as he positioned himself at Vargas' legs. 

"With that established; you will agree to me terms or you will watch him ripped apart from the inside." Ludwig crouched down and gave the pear another twist as an example for the old man. This had managed to break the Italian so seeing him in this much pain should be able to do the same to his grandfather. He wouldn't hesitate to put another bullet in either one of them. They were on a very thin line and any signs of rebellion would snap the cord and get them both a taste of what they had coming. Personally he thought it sounded an excellent deal: they both get to walk out right now with whatever injuries that had obtained and all they had to do was stop fighting.

Feliciano bit back a scream and arched his back partially, whimpering loudly and clenching his hands to the point where they almost began to bleed. He threw his head forward and tried desperatly to relax so that the pain would go away, at least a little. 

The Roman bit back his own screams, staying where he was and nodding. "S-si si...what are they? What exactly d-do you want me t-to do?" Roma asked, practically frozen in fear for his grandson. He wasn't sure if the German was going to kill Feliciano or not and he really didn't want Feliciano to die. Even if it ment Roma died, as long as Feliciano was alright. Roma would agree to shut down his resistance but he couldn't do anything about the others. He only ran his section of a very large organization. So if the German expected resistenza to disapear because of this he was wrong. And that was one of te only reasons Roma would agree. 

Roma was shaking now. "I-I'll do wh-whatever I c-can...j-just s-stop h-hurting him" He finished softly. "P-please"

Once more: he should have just started with this. Really, these Italians were just annoying above anything else. It hadn't even taken all that long to break them. More of their fellow rebels needed to be this cooperative with this little blood shed. It would be easier if the hadn't started this pathetic resistance in the first place, but you can't have everything. Besides, he was this close to putting and end to it. There was no doubt he would be promoted for this and awarded with some medal. The German stood, but stayed where he was in case the Roman changed his mind, 

"I want you to do anything in your power to stop the resistance. Call them off. Convince them that Germany knows what it is doing and that they will be much happier if they work with us." If the Roman wanted his relative to truly live this badly he would find a way to make it happen. True, it wouldn't be easy to get control over every strong minded rebel out there. 

"Oh yes, and it would also be greatly appreciated if you could give me the names of any associates of yours that hold enough power to keep it running without you." Someone would have to step up and decide to take the weight when the old man began talking conspiracies. It would be best to clip the wings of any of those that would try before they ever got the chance.

Roma gulped softly and looked at Feliciano. He couldnt tell what would be the effects of this on both ends. He knew that he would very likley lose Feliciano. "And after I do so?" The Roman questioned. "Feliciano is safe, he has commited litle to no crime, but my crimes against your country. What will you do about them? Its not over for me when I do tell you and shut down my part. Its not over for anyone. So? My crimes could get me shot and you know who I am now. Any German on the side streets or near my home address will kill me. And you have already put the boy through so much." Roma would do this all but he was going to be stubborn and picky. 

"If I do this...and...I tell you of an attack from the allies...will you give my Feliciano the protection he deserves? From you Germans? I want my Feliciano safe. And I want it to be you that promises me he will be if I agree to this." He paused and looked back to Feliciano. "I am offering more than you want for this. I know of an air strike that could make your life very difficult and if you promise me his protection I will tell this information to you as well" He finished there, obvious plead in his expression. 

Feliciano's eyes widened. He shook his head and pushed himself up as best as he could. "N-Nonno...." He whispered softly, continuing to shake his head. He knew what Roma meant by that. He wanted Feliciano to stay. 

The Roman didn't want Feliciano on the streets anymore, he wanted him safe.

The German's eyebrow raised with interest at the mention of an attack from the enemy. The Italian resistance had access to this type of information and he was willing to give it up to ensure that Vargas was safe. It was a hard deal to make. That information would be good to have, along with the Roman's word that he would do what he could to stop this stupid resistance. The thing was he wasn't sure how well they would be able to keep Vargas safe. No one else would agree it it, meaning the Italian would completely become his responsibility. Why did it have to be him anyways?! He was just been torturing the Italian and now his grandfather wanted his tormentor to protect him. Despite the distaste for his end of the promise, they really needed this information. 

"Ja. I will be sure to find someone to take care of him as long as you keep your word." Ludwig replied, crouching down to gently close the device. It would be a challenge to find someone who would actually watch over the Italian without harming him, especially once they found out who he was, but he would do it for the information. Even now they were really being annoyances. Hopefully it would be worth it.

Roma nodded. He let out a soft sigh. "Sometime in March, the Americans planned on assisting the resistance in a bombing of SS forces. The resistance will not help them, as long as I tell them not to, but. I cant stop the Americans so nothing I can do will stop that from happening." The Roman said softly, sighing and leaning back in at least partial relief. He couldn't stand to see Feliciano in so much pain and even if he did die, he was glad Feli would be alright. 

Feliciano flinched as the German adjusted the pear but he felt relieved at its shrinking back down. It was still uncomfortable but not nearly as bad as it was. He laid his head against the ground and breathed out shakily. He knew he couldnt change Roma's mind now it was far to late for that he had already spoken. So Feliciano remained silent, still shaking, afraid for his grandfather, especially now.

The German nodded in understanding. This was serious business. The Americans were going to bomb them?! Well, at least now they had a month and the knowledge of the plan. They'd be able to prepare for it better. As gently as possible Ludwig removed the mechanism from the Italian and returned his clothes, leaving him chained for just a moment longer. 

"We will be keeping a close eye on you. As long as you keep your word I will do my best to make sure no one injures either of you." he stated on his way over to open the door. Nodding to two of the guards watching the halls he summoned them closer. 

"Nehmen Sie ihm Zuhause, aber ihn nicht verletzen. Noch." he instructed, stepping back to let the two help the old man to his feet. At the same time Ludwig went back to unchain Feliciano to prove that they were both alright. Oh dear, now what was he going to do with him? No one was going to take him in. The only people who would be brave enough to risk housing someone like that would be an SS soldier, but none of them would want any part of this. That left him. He didn't want any part of this either. It wasn't like he had forever to make his decision either.

Feliciano whimpered softly looking up to the German and pushing himself up onto his knees, putting on his clothing and sitting somewhat uncomfortably and remaining on the floor, gazing up back and forth between his grandfather and the German soldier. He looked back down for a moments and sniffled. He wanted to hug his grandfather but he didn't think he could get there and he didnt want to move to suddenly. 

Roma nodded slowly. "I'll keep my promise." He stated softly, smiling in a reasuring way, but not to the German, no he couldnt stand the German enough to smile towards him. He smiled down at Feliciano, who returned his smile. 

Now that he had managed to get back on his feet with the assistance he needed, he used the wall for support and added a final thing. "And...try not to treat him like some big burden, eh? He's a good boy so treat him like one. He deserves it." Roma said softly. "Especially after getting hurt so badly" he muttered with a sigh. The quicker he left the quicker he could get this over with so he was trying to rush the goodbyes, but he kept his eyes on Feliciano, afraid for him.

Ludwig sighed as the grandfather was taken out of the room, held by the two Germans acting as pillars to hold him up. They were obviously curious as to why the man that had just been brought in minutes before was suddenly being returned home with only one injury. Neither was brave enough to ask, but the would spend the entire trip speculating. It was even more suspicious that their superior was being told to treat the Italian good, and the mention of a promise. A trade perhaps but an odd one. 

Once the three finally made their way out Ludwig turned back to the Italian. Just what was he supposed to do now? He could always just shoot Vargas. The Roman was leaving to uphold his end of things; he would never be the wiser. It would be easier than working with the Italian that he had no reason or need to take care of. Just because he was good didn't mean he wouldn't be a burden. Ludwig would have to protect him, and find him a place to stay, and keep him at his place until he did. 

"Now, what do I do with you?" he growled. Vargas could always just leave and continue about his normal life, but that ran the risk of him running into his grandfather who would automatically know he hadn't kept his end of things. It wasn't like the Italian would want to stay with him after what he had done either. Maybe he could just stay here.

Feliciano watched as his Grandafther was taken away from him, very likley forever. He looked up at the German somewhat shyly and shrugged softly, resting his hands on his knees. 

"Wh-whatever you chose. I-I'll try not to be a big weight on anyone" Feliciano said softly, looking down. He wasnt sure how he would feel about staying with Ludwig, let alone another stranger. He didn't like it here though, it was cold and it scared him. He looked around a bit leaned back slightly. 

"M-maybe th-theres some sort of job I could do for someone? Or for the SS in general? I w-wouldnt mind having to do a little work..." The Italian looked up at the German soldier and sighed lightly. "And I'm a really good cook. So if anyone needs anything in that area I could do that. I wouldnt mind" The young Italian was trying to help the German, thinking of how irritating he must be to have around. He didnt know if he was helping or hurting but he had to try.

Ludwig chewed his lip for a moment, thinking it over. Whatever the result the Italian would have to spend some time in his own home while he figured it out. Leaving him here would only get his injuries infected since the place hardly ever got cleaned. Until the Italian got a permanent residence he might as well bring him back to his place. The suggestions from Vargas did give him some ideas, though an Italian working for one of the generals would end in abuse. Knowing that the Italian wouldn't be able to walk with the mixture of the bullet in his foot and the stretched and torn area, Ludwig knelt down to scoop up his prisoner bridal style, trying hard not to be too rough on his back, and began walking out. 

"We might as well get you patched up first." he grumbled. This was turning into more of a chore than anything else. He couldn't think of many places that would take in an Italian to work for them, and treat him properly. Especially if they found out he was part of the resistance, he would be treated poorly. Italians would be angry at him for selling them out so if anyone discovered that it would be even worse. No matter how he looked at it, there was nowhere to leave the Italian that would keep him from harm. It was beginning to look like he'd be stuck with Vargas for as long as he intended to uphold his promise.

Feliciano blinked in question at being lifted up, holding onto the German nervously. He nodded softly and tried to make himself easier to carry. He hadnt thought of the details such as conditions. He was only trying to make the decision part of Ludwigs current task easier. He assumed Ludwig had a plan by now so he remained silent this time. It didn't hurt too much to be carried by Ludwig so he didnt have to wine in pain, thankfully because he figured that would just get annoying and he didn't want to be annoying. He wanted to make this new situation easier on both of them. Now that he was calm and in the German's arms he managed to relax a little bit, closing his eyes and laying his head against Ludwig's chest. Its not that he didnt still fear the gaurd because he did, he problem was how tired he was. He felt as if he may just fall asleep right there. He nearly did in fact, barely concious in not even two minutes after laying his head down. He shivered in the German's arms and breathed shakily but he was happy enough to almost smile. He'd managed to keep his nonno alive and to keep himself alive.

Ludwig fought himself not to shift when the Italian relaxed in his arms to the point that he actually rested his head against the German's chest. It was a strange thing for him to do considering that he had been playing with his life not minutes before. They got lots of strange looks, and Ludwig would have a lot of explaining to do later on. He'd have to come up with some excuse that explained things without including the deal. There was lots of time for that later, after he got rid of the new weight holding him down. For the moment his main concern was getting home with the Italian without getting stopped. Luckily for him, his home wasn't too far from where he worked just incase he got called in suddenly. 

The stairs to his apartment was the main problem. His training paid off though, and climbing five flights with an extra body was almost effortless. Once inside he took Vargas, or Feliciano since he was now staying in his apartment instead of just being a prisoner, into his bedroom and lay him gently in the bed. German hospitals wouldn't give the Italian the proper care he needed, so he would just have to do what he could from the comforts of his home. Leaving the Italian to rest, Ludwig began rummaging through his home in search of a way to fix Feliciano's most predominant wounds. Scheiße, he might as well cook some sausages too. He was hungry and his guest probably would be too, as soon as he returned to full consciousness. Just what had he gotten himself into?

Feliciano adjusted himself and curled up in the bed, gripping at the bedding, wincing slightly. He was fine after adjusting himself eniugh to be comfortable. He liked being in this bed. It was softer and warmer than were he usualy slept. He had a bed but he rarley slept on it becuase of how painful and uncomfortable it was. This was like what he had a long time ago, the bed his grandfather got him before the treaty with America was signed. The German hadn't even been gone 3 minutes before Feliciano's eyes began to water again. 

This time he didnt even fully understand why he was crying but he assumed it just needed to come out. He missed when he didnt have to fear German's and when he could help them without other Italians thinking he was a trader. He missed the old markets from his country. He missed everything from when Germany and Italy got along and he questioned if the two countries would ever live peacefully again. Feliciano was still so young and his country had been in this distress for almost a year now. It was hard for him because he had no say in anything anymore. He never even wanted to be resistenza. So yes, there was a reason for his tears, he just couldn't see it at first.

Ludwig put a pan with some wurst on the stove and headed back into the bedroom. A ping of guilt hit him to find Feliciano curled up, crying, and obviously in pain. The Italian was no longer his prisoner. It was strange and more than uncomfortable to think about. With a grunt he held out a couple of pain pills and a glass of water towards his uncanny guest. One thing was for sure: he wouldn't be having anyone over until Feliciano moved on to a more permanent location. 

"Here, take these. It'll help for the pain... and depression. It'll get better after I clean them. You'll have to take your shirt off so I can get your back, then I'll do your foot." the German offered with annoyance still hanging in his voice. He might be able to find a bakery that would be welcome to some real, Italian cuisine. It would be a needle in a haystack, but one had to exist somewhere in Germany. Then there was the trouble of finding the Italian a new place to live. It would have to be somewhere close by so that Ludwig could continue to keep an eye on him. He sat down on the bed and grabbed the alcohol and a wash cloth to clean the scrapes in his back. He also had a needle to close the wound after removing the bullet in his food. After this he would give the Italian something to eat and allow him to sleep.

Feliciano sat up and blinked softly, nodding and taking the pills and water, gulping them down and setting the water aside. He removed his shirt again and set that next to him. He sniffled lightly and tried to hold back his tears. He didn't want to annoy Ludwig by crying, being that the German seemed so annoyed already. 

"G-Grazie" He mumbled softly, turning ao that his back was more accessible to the German for cleaning. He knew that would hurt but he was alright with that pain, being that he knew it was good for him. He looked down and put his hands in between his legs, fiddling his fingers together. He truly did feel bad that his grandfather had requested this of Ludwig because he knew that with his wounds he would be a large burden anyways. He couldnt walk and he couldnt take care of himself on his own now and he didn't want to throw that burden on anyone else. His breath was shaky and his body was to. No matter what he would still be slightly afraid of this soldier.


	5. five

Ludwig sighed slightly as the Italian moved into position. He didn't blame Feliciano for continuing to shake and be scared of him after what he had done. As gently as possible he dabbed the cloth on the open wounds to clean them as well as the surrounding bloodied area. Had he known that he would be stuck with this job he wouldn't have used the whip. It was just a relief he had decided against crushing the Italian's hand which would have rendered him completely useless. It was unsettling listening to the silence that was broken by only the sounds of pain caused by the tending of the wounds. 

"I'm only like that at work." the German stated defensively. He was still serious and struck no matter where he went, but he would never truly hurt someone without reason. At work his superiors gave him his reason and that was good enough for him. Here he had no reason to hurt anyone. 

"Since you will be staying here for a while my name is Ludwig Beilschmidt." he added, realizing that the he knew the Italian's name but not the other way around. That would have made it rather strange to have a man living with him that didn't know his name. Not that it wasn't strange enough having a man living with him, or really anyone for that matter.

Feliciano winced everynow and the, the alcohol stinging in his wounds. He understood why the German would be defensive over such a thing. It would be strange for the Italian to stay here if he was afraid of the man who was taking care of him. It would very likly be akward for both parties if Feliciano only flinched whenever Ludwig moved. He did that on the streets any time he was near someone who seemed like they would hurt him and it always seemed to annoy everyone. At the German saying his name Feliciano nodded and spoke softly. 

"P-piacere, L-Ludwig" Feliciano replied softly. It was nice to know the German's name and to at least somewhat be able to trust him so he felt that was appropriate. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if Ludwig had no idea what he had said. He kept fiddling with his fingers to distract himself from the pain but there were times when it hurt just a bit to much. Those were the only times he made any sound. He wasn't sure if the German wanted to make conversation, otherwise he would have had a few questions to ask, but for now he remained silent.

And the awkward silence returned. It made sense for neither of them to be comfortable right now. The Italian was in the home of an enemy, and the German was harbouring the equivalent of a criminal. Ludwig finished cleaning his back in silence before moving to get better access to the foot. 

"This one will hurt more since I have to remove the bullet." he stated, looking it over. He splashed a helping of alcohol on it to numb the area slightly before carefully inserting the tweezers. 

"You enjoy painting?" It was a stupid question to ask since he did teach on the subject, but Feliciano needed something to distract his mind with. They would be staying together until this foot was well enough to walk on so they might as well get to know each other a little. Meeting new people and making new friends had never been one of the German's strengths so he was grasping at air for ideas. All Ludwig knew about his new roomie was that he painted, and about his grandfather which was currently a very sensitive topic. The sooner they could get him out of here the better.

Feliciano winced and bit back a whimper, nodding at the German's question. "S-si. I've taught art to little children for a while. It keeps them calm and happy in this time. Children dont understand why they wake up and here gun fire every morning. Some even blame themselves. So I thought that if I could take their mind off of what was going on around them and just give them time to think about what they wanted. It kept them calm and it kept me calm too. I think that there may have even been a few German children in there. The kinder few of the street soldiers would always bring in children who they thought needed a chance to get away. So I taught them how to paint to." He liked talking about this. It was nice to think about the children who he taught. 

"Wh-Whenever I wasnt teaching I was still painting. I loved to make the display art for stands. In fact I even got asked to paint a few of the signs for the market places." He smiled rather weakly and closed his eyes, clenching his fists to grit the pain away. "Wh-what about you? What other than your job do you like to do?"

The German managed to get the bullet out in the midst of the story and began preparing the needle and thread. The Italian was the very opposite if himself. By the sounds of it most, if not all, of his time went to helping others. Ludwig had never though of the negative effects on the children because he never came into contact with them. Thinking it over, it was good that people like this were out there to care for the young. Once they were old enough the German children joined the Jugend where they were prepared for war. Keeping them happy and blissfully innocent was never their purpose. They were all future soldiers and were treated as such. That caused the question of what Italian children did during their days that have them so much free time to paint, and where the Germans were that they could go there to be taught. Ludwig had to pause for a moment when the question was turned back around on him. What did he like to do outside of work? There wasn't a whole lot. His work was his life. With a sigh he returned to patching up the Italian. 

"Not a whole lot. After work I'm usually to exhausted to do anything. I get up early to go to work, and return when it's late. By that time I either cook myself something to eat, read the newspaper, and go to sleep, or go straight to the bar and forget the things I've seen." he admitted. It wasn't like it was a secret. Everyone knew his lifestyle was all about work. If he wasn't working he was still there training or filling in to help with the Jugend. The easiest place to reach him was work or the bar, since he went there more than a normal person would like to admit. The hangovers kept him serious as work, and they were usually severe considering him much he usually drank to help him relax.

Feliciano didn't see all that big of a difference other than the types of Jobs. Painting was technically Feliciano's job and from what he saw, the German's thought they were helping others. They were simply fixing something they believed was broken. While, no, Feliciano didn't believe it was broken he always saw why the German's did what they did. He sighed shakily and kept his eyes away from his foot. 

"As long as you believe that what you are doing and that your job is what you want to do then that is what you like to do, si?" The Italian sighed softly, beginning to fiddle with his fingers again. He was a bit calmer after the bullet was out of his foot because it felt slightly less painful. He was also begining to calm down because he felt that the German wasnt going to hurt him. He wasnt being threatening and they were only making conversation. He smiled softly and weakly as he continued to fiddle with his thumbs. The sewing part didnt hurt all that bad and most of his injuries were begining to seemingly fade away thanks to the medication he was given.

"Ja, I guess." the German nodded in agreement with the observation. The situation was still extremely uncomfortable even with the conversation going on. He was patching up wounds he had inflicted himself. It wasn't like he had known that the Italian was innocent in all of this. He had been given a name and a question mark over some information to gather and set to work. When he was at work he couldn't care at all about what he did to get what he had to, but it was always a hard subject to think back on and consider especially with the full evidence of everything he had done sitting in his bed. Ludwig finished stitching in silence before quickly putting everything to the side. 

"There is no food in the bed so I can help you or simply carry you into the kitchen." he stated, standing back up. Even for a guest there would be no crumbs in the bed. He liked keeping his house clean, and the bed was no exception. There was never an exception he could think of where he would allow food to make a mess in his bed. It would be a strain on Feliciano to bring him into the kitchen and make him sit at the table, but he had never made an exception for a special guest insisting on involving treats in sexual activities so the Italian wouldn't be an exception for injuries.

Feliciano looked down to his foot and then up to the German. "I D-dont want to pop the stitches...so y-you carrying me p-pobably is the best idea" Feliciano said softly. He began to peel the top layer of skin off of his lips, a nervous habit he seemed to have whenever asking someone of something. He really wished his grandfather hadn't pushed the German to the point where he pulled a gun because that caused Feliciano to be even bigger of a burden than he already was just by having to come and stay with the German. He kept his gaze away from Ludwig and continued to fiddle with his fingers. He wasnt sure what attitude would be best in this sort of situation so he remained silent and careful. He had no reason to be stubborn or rude. In fact he had reason to be exactly the opposite.

Of course. Making him walk would ruin the work he had just put into healing the wound and make it worse. What was the Italian going to do for the next couple if days while Ludwig was at work, leaving Feliciano alone. He might have to take a couple days off to care for the Italian until he could at least walk on his own. It wasn't that he hadn't earned a couple vacation days, he had just been hoping that they would be spent on something better than babysitting. He slid his arms back underneath the smaller man and gently lifted him. 

"I hope you like potatoes and German sausage." he stated on the way back into the kitchen. That was the Italian's only choice for now so it wasn't like he could say no unless he completely refused to eat. Perhaps while he was out he would get some foods that would make Feliciano a little more comfortable. First he would have to find out what the Italian liked to eat, other than the obvious pasta. He carefully lowered the person in his arms onto a chair at the table. He really wished Feliciano would start some sort of conversation. There wasn't anything he could think of to talk about. 

"You have to have questions." he offered while beginning to set the table for two, that alone was strange since his guests didn't normally stay longer than the night. Anyone would have questions in this situation. Ludwig would have questions in this situation. One cannot simply stay in a complete stranger's house without questions.

Feliciano shrugged slightly and adjusted himself once in the seat. "I actually do have a few but you don't have to answer them." He paused for a moment, watching the German. 

"See in my country, all the Italians who disagree with how everything is going, they all believe that all Germans seem to care about is work and 'racial hygiene' because that is all they see. Most of the Germans on the streets don't speak Italian or English so we can't communicate. I just want to know about you as a person. Not about you and your job. I understand what you believe. But, I want to know that you have your own personality. That you are not just some soldier who doesn't care about the minds of others." Feliciano didn't want to push past boundaries but he wanted to know that he was right. He needed to know that the German cared about other things to. 

"If you weren't at war right now, what would you want to be doing? And do you really agree with everything that you are told to do? I mean I am sure that as a child you never dreamed about trying to perfect the world, right?"

Ludwig paused in the middle of scooping some mashed potatoes onto the Italian's plate. That was a complicated question that he wasn't even sure he should answer. It didn't matter to him what the Italians thought of the Germans as people. They had their own twisted way if thinking of things, making the Germans look like the wrong ones in everything. He let out a short sigh after his moment of silence and continued to scoop some potatoes into his own plate. 

"You know, I could be killed for agreeing to something like that." Even if you didn't agree with absolutely everything, you knew to keep your mouth shut and not complain. There was another pause. Was it really safe to say something like that? Even in his own home he wondered sometimes. He took a deep breath and looked around his apartment. 

"No, there are some things that I do not totally agree with." he half expected someone to break down the door and march in with guns drawn. Saying anything against the reich was aushluander, and he didn't need to have that on his record. "To answer the other part of your question I've always liked the sound of being a mechanic." he admitted guiltily. It wasn't that he disliked his job in any manner, he was more than happy to have any job at all, but getting the chance to repair things that didn't involve the military was such a relaxing thought. This one Italian was making him say things that he had never admitted to anyone else before, and likely never would again. He just pitied Feliciano for the situation he was currently in, and that was it.

Feliciano looked down and fiddled with his fingers again. He didn't want to get Ludwig in trouble just because he asked a simple question. Everything the Germans did seemed so different from his country. "s-sorry" He said softly. He didn't think that the German would agree with everything. There were a few things he was surprised the German leader believed at all. He didn't realize all the danger that even the soldiers were in. He didn't think that they had to worry at all. Though being with one in this way he had seen that it wasn't at all like he was told. He figured as much but this wasn't what he expected. He smiled after hearing what the German said he wanted to be. 

"Oh that sounds kind of fun. It's probably a lot of hard work though. I could never do it." He chuckled to himself. He would believe that the German could do it because of his seemingly strong appearance and all the things that he had experienced already. "But I'm sure you could" He added with a slight smile up at the German. He felt comfortable and he didn't know why. Ludwig had harmed him and his grandfather but he wasn't all that bad as Feliciano thought.

Ludwig returned the look, trying to figure out why the Italian was smiling at him. The things he had done deserved a permanent grudge, no matter what he said or did to attempt to reconcile it. Ah, right, he had given him those pills to help pull him out of the depression of losing his grandfather. Feliciano would probably have to be kept on pills for a couple of weeks; a prescription that not anyone could get. Being a soldier made it far easier for the German. It looked as though the Italian may have to stay longer than he hoped. As he sat down he considered returning the question to ask what Feliciano would he would do if his country wasn't in this state, but he was already doing what he loved. Or, he had been until he was taken from it. There wasn't exactly a need for artists around here but it wouldn't hurt to check. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer before grabbing his fork and beginning to eat. 

"I've asked you more than enough questions already. It's your turn to ask what you need to know." They were both being pushed out out of their comfort zones, or at least that's what Ludwig was assuming. He had already pushed the Italian for all sorts of questions so it was only fair that the tables be turned now.

Feliciano thought about it for a minute, taking the fork he had in front of him and messing with it. He said his own inner prayers before taking a bit of the food he was given. He finally came up with a question as he swallowed. 

"Um okay. Well I'll stray away from our topic if thats alright. But is there any family you care for? Relatives? Someone who you wake up for and make sure to live for? Like my grandpa roma. Isn't there someone like that for you?" Feliciano questioned, hoping that was a happier topic that could easier be discussed than the war. That and he would really prefer not to discuss the war at all anymore. It bothered him and he was sure it bothered the German. Straying away from that topic would make eating a lot less akward. He continued to nibble at the food, not at all complaining, in fact rather enjoying it. It wasnt what he usually ate but it was nice to change it up a bit.

He had offered the Italian to ask him questions, and this seemed pretty equal since he had asked Feliciano some very hard questions, but he kept asking tough to answer questions. Ludwig knew about the Roman, and he had only gotten it through torture. The least he could do was answer a simple question to give Feliciano the same information that he he had. Still, it was hard to believe that the Italian didn't see this as an equally uncomfortable topic to the military. This was a weakness, and if he didn't have complete control over everything that happened there was no way he would be talking about this. 

"Ja, I have an older brother. Gilbert. I don't know how someone as loud and annoying as him could have ever gotten into government work, but somehow he did." Gilbert could be a real pain most of the time, but that didn't change the fact that he would do just about anything for him. They didn't get together too often since work usually kept them apart, but they met whenever possible and sometimes got to work together. It was a lot different than from when they were younger, but things change. Once this whole war was finally over and they had won he and his brother may be able to return to their lives before this.

Feliciano smiled. "Oh thats cool!" Feliciano looked up at the German. 

"Brothers are nice even if they don't seem to like you. I still love my fratello even thouvh he moved away to take care of his friend." The Italian took another bite from his plate and thought of something else to ask. He could ask about relationships status but that seemed far too personal. Plus there was always the chance he was similar to his brother. He didn't have a problem with homosexuels, in fact he was often finding himself attracketed to men, the only problem was the way he was raised to be. That and relationships dont need to be broadcasted. He liked getting to know Ludwig in this way. 

"Hmm.. have you ever wanted to go anywhere in the world that you just couldn't get to? For work or for some other reason? Just personal gain mostly. I would want to go to France or maybe even Spain! I have a Spanish friend who says that spain has a tomato festival!" He said with such excitement in his voice that he giggled softly afterwards. Now that he felt better emotionally and physically he felt so hyper and happy. He could have a conversation like he did with his friends or like he did with his boss. But for now he didnt believe he needed formality. Plus living with Ludwig required honesty so Feliciano may as well be his cheerful and happy self.

Ludwig paused again. Did the Italian not realize the sorts of questions he was asking could get the soldier into trouble or was he just ignorant? His house had been searched for bugs numerous times to make sure that there was no one spying on him from either the enemy or his own government. Each day before he left he set up little little markers around the door and windows so that he would know if anyone came in, and the first thing he did when he got home was check them. Nothing had been moved so he was assuming it was safe to speak. 

"I havn't really thought of it much. No matter where you go right now the world is at war. America sounds like a good place. Switzerland too since they don't have war." he responded with slight hesitance. It was nice to see that the Italian was loosening up since he was still very apprehensive. He might have even been a little too happy, but that was better than being in a state of depression.

Feliciano wasn't exactly aware of what could be asked without getting Ludwig into trouble. After all, his government was very different. Really he could talk about anything he wanted to as long as it was within the laws. He nodded and leaned back a bit, though not enough to touch his back to the chair. 

"America sounds nice~ I wouldn't be to sure about Switzerland cause I've heard they can be a bit rude. But the not being at war does sound nice." Feliciano took another bite from the food, finishijg what was on the plate and setting it aside a bit. 

"Grazie for the food" He said with a smile. He wasn't sure if he should continued to question the German or if he should remain silent now but Ludwig didn't seem to like the silence. 

"Okay so what kind of things just make you smile? You don't seem like the kind of person to smile a lot but do you ever? And if so what makes you smile?" He questioned, leaning his arm on the table and tilting his head slightly. Feliciano loved seeing others smile and with people like that, the ones that never smile, he loved to make them smile especially. It felt nice to see others smiling.


	6. Six

Yet another difficult question, but this one was hard for another reason. The others were hard to respond to but this one was hard to think of an answer for. Feliciano seemed like a very happy person who could smile at almost anything. He was smiling here for goodness sake. The German in the other hand didn't smile nearly as much. Most of the times he did smile were when he was completely drunk. Other than that, well he couldn't really think of anything in particular that made him smile. There were the odd occasions when he did, but they were seemingly random. Ludwig stood to gather the dishes and put them in the sink; he could wash them a little later when the Italian was asleep. 

"I smile when something good happens, which doesn't happen often enough. Do you smile at everything?" he leaned against the counter. It was harder to do things since he had to carry the Italian everywhere. They couldn't simply stand up and walk somewhere. Feliciano should get some sleep so he would be taking him back to bed, but he wasn't sure how much longer the Italian wanted to stay up and talk. Also how long his back injuries would allow it either.

Feliciano leaned against the table, resting his chin on his arms. "It takes less muscles to smile~" He chuckled softly. "I don't smile at everything. You have seen me cry. I cry about a lot of things. Especially recently. My nonno is always so busy and my fratello left to take care of Toni." He shrugged and began to fiddle around with his fingers again. 

"I don't really have reason to smile but I figure that maybe if I can stay happy. Even in this time. I can make others around me calmer about the situation they are in" He lifted his head for a moment. "When everyone only glares at each other, it's nice to see a smile every once in a while. And I know I may sound crazy, But whenever others frown I only want to smile more. Because. If I smile then they know that it's alright. People always hug and cry when others are in trouble or sad but it's not grief and sadness that needs to be given when that is all someone can feel. People are funny in how they work. It's important to keep others happy, even if deep down inside you really are hurting." The Italian knew this from personal experience. He lost a friend as a child and when he died, Feliciano wanted to grief but no matter how saddened he felt, he had to be kind and happy. Because it kept everyone else around him happy and really that was all he cared about.

The Italian was a surprisingly deep thinker. What he said made sense, but that didn't mean he would start forcing himself to smile. There were people like Feliciano that could take care of all the smiling and making people happy. He was doing his job to keep the world together which was more stressful than most people could imagine. Unlike the Italian who spent his days painting and playing with children, Ludwig had seen things that made him wonder if it was even right to smile at all. There were such awful things in the world, and they were guilty of trying to make themselves feel better. 

"It's good of you to want to do that for people. Not everyone is that strong or sees the world this way." He moved closer to the Italian. "I think you need to get some sleep. It's been a long day and the more rest you get the better you'll feel." He gently picked Feliciano back up. It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying the conversation, he really was, but the Italian really needed to sleep and get his strength back.

Feliciano smiled up at the German. "Si many people don't see others as caring if they have made a mistake. The world really is a dark place." He replied softly. The thing that separated Feliciano from the other resistance members, and really Italians in general, was that Feliciano was far too forgiving. He didn't hold grudges and he couldn't find it in himself to hate someone. Many said this was not a smart way to think but Feliciano believed that violence wasn't the answer to everything; in fact violence solved nothing in his mind. Anger only led to hate and Feliciano could never hate someone.

Looking up at Ludwig again he nodded. He was tired so perhaps he really did need some sleep. Once in the German's arms again, Feliciano curled his legs inwards. He tried to remain comfortable and still be easy to carry. He held onto the German's shirt fabric tightly, showing that he was just a bit nervous to be in his arms again. He was nervous the other times too but the first time he barely noticed and the second time he wasn't all that calm anyways and he was in too much pain to focus. 

Now that he had eaten and taken pain pills, Feliciano was calm and able to realize what was going on. He buried his face somewhat into the German's chest. It was surprisingly warm and comfortable. As Feliciano closed his eyes he began to fall asleep right there before the German had even laid him in the bed. He didn't even think he was tired but he surely must have been because he did end up falling asleep rather quickly once he was in Ludwig's arms. He didn't know if it was the German's warmth or just that he was too tired to care, all he knew was that he was going to end up asleep anyways and there wouldn't be a large difference if he slept here or if he slept there. Either way he would end up in the bed. As he began to fall asleep his grip on the German's shirt loosened and his expression dulled.

The German was a little surprised when Feliciano curled up closer to him. At first it was just grabbing into his shirt, which he was trying to understand. The Italian should still be at least a little afraid of him, and yet he was clinging to him. Perhaps he expected to be dropped and that is why he was holding on. It surprised him even more when Feliciano began to fall asleep in his arms. No matter how tired a person is, it takes a lot of trust to sleep in their home, let alone their arms. As gently as humanly possible he place the Italian in his bed and tucked him in. It was odd to think that such a neutral face had been filled with so much pain and fear less than an hour ago. He almost looked to be at peace here. The unanswered question was how long that would last. The thoughts of leaving him here while Ludwig ran some errands was starting to sound like a less than smart plan. 

After witnessing something like that, and even worse being the victim of it, it wouldn't be a surprise if someone got nightmares for weeks. It would probably be best to stay here just in case Feliciano had a nightmare so that he could help him get back to sleep instead of waking to find that he was completely alone. He could also wake up at any time and need to use the washroom. The question was where to stay. He wasn't exactly exhausted but he was tired; enough for a short nap at least. He could always grab a couple extra blankets and sleep on the floor. That's what he would do. 

Silently accessing his closet he pulled out some extra bedding and placed it on the ground beside the bed. He would hear if the Italian wake up from here, and would be able to get him anything he needed. After some sleep he would do the dishes, but it would probably be best to stay nearby while Feliciano slept.

Feliciano didn't consider nightmares to be a factor of going through what he had previously been through; though he should have expected them being that he got them just thinking about it. Actually living through it would bring nightmares like no others. It wasn't long before he began to grip at the bedding he was tucked into. It wasn't from a nightmare that he did this. He always did that. He curled himself almost into a ball in his sleep, though if something seemed to hurt he would automatically adjust. When he did begin to have a nightmare, it wasn't obvious. He dealt with them in a very different way than most. 

First he was calm, not realizing what he was sitting through, and then his breathing began to speed up. When he had nightmares that affected him they were usually large or important and far too personal to ignore. He gasped and gripped tighter at the bedding. He didn't wake yet. His dream seemed so real. It worried him so much that he did finally wake from it, head shooting up and upper body following. He was shaking already. Feliciano didn't scream though. He never screamed to a dream. He didn't do much once awake other than breath in softly and release a shaky exhale. He didn't believe in his nightmares but this one seemed far too real. 

All he could picture was his grandfather and the resistance calling him a traitor and a liar. He saw them hurting him and beating him. But he knew it wasn't real because he was there. They were holding Feliciano back from stopping them. He woke up just before what he believed would have ended the dream anyway. He laid his head back against the pillow and shook his head. He didn't believe it, he kept telling himself that. He repeated it in his mind over and over again. It isn't real, he's fine, even if they don't believe him, nothing bad can happen to him. He didn't realize but he had said it a few times out loud as well, whispering to himself without even realizing he was speaking.

Ludwig woke to the sound of someone speaking softly. For a moment he forgot about his company, prepared to jump up and shoot whoever was above him. The knowledge that he wasn't alone was comforting since it meant no one had heard their discussions the night before; they would have been here already if they had. Sitting up slowly from his makeshift bed on the floor he could see over the side of the bed. Unlike himself the Italian didn't appear to having such a good night, just as he expected. At first he considered that Feliciano may just be talking in his sleep, until he saw him shaking and clutching to the bed. With a tired and stiff groan from laying on the floor he stood to reposition himself to sit down right beside the Italian. He hadn't really dealt with someone having a nightmare before so he wasn't exactly sure what to do here. 

"Feliciano, I'm right here." He gently pried on of the Italian's hands from the bed and petted it slightly to prove that he was there and everything would be alright. "It usually helps to talk about a dream." he stated with the same serious and demanding tone as always. He had a pretty good idea of what the dream was about from the mumbles. Anyone would be worried about a relative in his shoes, and after what they had been put through it was no wonder that it would come out as a dream. Ludwig didn't have the heart to tell him the chances were his grandfather wouldn't be alive for too much longer. He had instructed the guards not to hurt him, but the Roman was right in what he said. There were others out there that would be finding out shortly, and they wouldn't be as hesitant to kill the old man. His only wish was that they wouldn't play with him for too long before killing him, that way he could tell Feliciano that the death was quick and nearly painless when the time came to do so.

Feliciano whimpered softly at hearing the German come up to the bed. For a moment he had forgotten himself that he wasn't in his own bed and that was a thing that freaked him out even more. Though when Ludwig touched him he did flinch a first but how gently he was grabbed at reminded him where he was. He looked up to the German and scooted a bit closer to him. He wanted to reach up and hug him but he wasn't sure if Ludwig would be okay with that. He sniffled lightly, realizing that he was in fact tearing up. He shivered slightly. Feliciano knew this feeling would have been so much worse had he been forced to stay in that room. Had things not gone the way they did, Feliciano would be crying and alone right now, very likley with worse nightmares than before. He was hesitant but he really needed the comfort so he moved his head up onto the German's leg. 

"I-It's m-my g-grandpa...th-they w-were b-beating h-him and I-I c-couldn't d-do anything t-to s-stop them. I-It w-wasn't G-Germans e-either..." He shivered a few times and sniffled softly. He refused to believe that people like the Resistenza he had met would do that. But he didn't know them as well as he thought. That was certainly a possible option.

In a way Ludwig was shocked but also not when the Italian moved his head onto his leg. What was he supposed to do now? He wasn't surprised when Feliciano moved closer since that's why he was here, but the direct touch was a little different. He really did feel bad for the Italian. After all he had gone through, to have a dream of his own people beating his grandfather while he watched helplessly. The tears and shakes were more than enough to convey how truly terrible it had been. 

Ludwig was slightly uncomfortable at the thought, but this was mostly his fault so he had to take responsibility and do what he could to make it better. He slowly sat the Italian up and pulled him basically right into his lap so that he could hold him better. Even if he wasn't big on hugs himself he understood the comfort that came from physical contact so, while being careful of Feliciano's injuries, he held the smaller man against his chest. 

"It's alright. There are soldiers watching out for him right now. You'll be okay. It was just a bad dream." It was a good thing he had decided to stay instead of leaving Feliciano to deal with this pain by himself. He really felt guilty about causing all of this. There would have been other ways to work this out where the Italian didn't have to go through this. It was almost starting to sound like he cared about his prisoner. No, it was just the guilt and his attempt to make up for his mistakes that were driving him to do this.

Feliciano gripped at the German, hesistating but wrapping his arms around Ludwig. He nodded softly and bit down on his lip. 

"D-dreams are s-scary sometimes, huh?" He said softly, trying to keep light hearted. He couldn't be the sad one. It hurt to much on the inside to be sad and Feliciano couldn't handle it. But the hug felt nice. It felt better to cry it all out rather than to hold it all in. He was glad that Ludwig was here to hold him. It always seemed like he was holding everyone and he rarely ever got a chance to cry it out. Feliciano's fake smile faded and he turned his head away, still holding onto the German. 

"I-im s-sorry to w-wake you" Feliciano said softly. He wanted to ask if Ludwig would stay in the bed with him while he slept but he didn't want to inconvenience him or make him uncomfortable in any way. He was after all sleeping in Ludwig's bed, eaiting his food, and he couldnt help out in anyway without a chance of harming himself in anyway. Feliciano remained silent for now, just sniffling a few times and hiding his face in the German's chest.

Even after waking up from a nightmare of his grandfather being tortured, shaking and crying, Feliciano was trying to stay somewhat happy. He really was something else. Most people would have been screaming at him to leave them alone and spending their time constantly crying and hating everyone. It would only make a person angrier to be trapped in a strange house with arranged foods and a strange person. Ludwig placed a hand on the back of Feliciano's head and patted it lightly, not wanting him to feel like he had to move. It was strange having another man's face pressed against his chest to cry, but right now that's what the Italian needed. 

"If I was worried about sleep then I would have stayed on the couch. I promised your grandfather that I would make sure you were safe so I slept in the same room to make sure nothing happened to you." he replied as sincerely as possible. It was a good choice. Feliciano seemed to really need this right now. Leaving him alone in the house, stuck on the bed, would have been a complete other type of torture. First thing in the morning he was calling in sick. After seeing this he knew that Feliciano needed him to stay close by until he was up again, for more reasons than just the inability to walk properly.

Feliciano certainly was different. He could never push someone away. He needed comfort more than he realized and he couldnt ever find it in himself to push that away. He couldnt never hate anyone or anything. He blinked softly and chewed on the inside of his cheek. He exhaled shakily and looked up at the German. 

"W-will you...S-stay in th-the b-bed w-with m-me?" He asked softly. Whenever he heard the noises from the war that scared him or made him feel uncomfortable he always slept with his grandfather and he would feel better. He hoped that with Ludwig in the bed, he could sleep without worrying about the rest of the world. When he was alone he always thought of what he feared but when he was with others he only thought about them. Making sure they were alright became his concern and he always slept peacefully because of it. Feliciano loved the comfort that the German made him feel. Whether it was sincere or not it was nice. Even if it seemed like Ludwig had no idea what he was doing in trying to comfort someone who he had caused the pain towards, it felt nice to be in his arms, at least with an attempt to make him feel better about everything that was going on.

The German was slightly taken aback by the request. It made sense for him to not want to be alone right now, but sharing the same bed? He hadn't done that with another male since he and Gilbert were little. It wasn't like anything about the simple idea of keeping him from having to deal with it alone was bad. It was simply... His government looked down on that sort of relationship to a very dramatic extent. The Arian race couldn't come to be if two men or two girls were together. It wasn't like that at all though. This would be alright. Besides, he had already stepped past the wall of laws several times this evening. 

Ludwig gently placed the Italian back down on the bed, except farther away from him this time. He stood briefly to grab his blanket before laying down next to Feliciano, between the Italian and the door. 

"Will you sleep better this way?" he asked, turning to face Feliciano. Sharing a bed with his brother was also the last time he had shared his space without first enjoying a different form of company from a woman. Not at all that he was thinking about that and the Italian in any connected manner. He was just here to help Feliciano sleep and help him if he woke up from any more dreams.

Feliciano snuggled into the bed once he was set down again. He watched the German for a moment, nodding at his question. 

"S-si I th-think s-so" He replied softly. Feliciano hadn't thought about Ludwig in that way either. After all, he was raised as a cotholic and catholicism was against that anyway. He only needed the comfort that having the German in the bed would bring. He also knew the opinions that German's had on that sort of relationship. It was one of the reasons his brother moved to a location that wasnt under German control. He didn't want Toni to be hurt anymore than he already was and he didn't want to be unable to take care of him so he had to get away. Feliciano didn't want to have to do that sort of thing so he stuck with his bellas. It wasn't that he wasn't ever attracted to men because on occasion hed find a man that he liked in that way but he never did anything because he was always so afraid. He was afraid his grandfather would hate him or that a German soldier would find him and take them away from each other. He had met an American soldier once that loved a male and everything seemed so nice between the two but it was okay where they came from.

Ludwig nodded and rolled over to face the ceiling with a slight yawn. How long would the Italian have these nightmares and how many nights would that have to share a bed? How many days would he have to take off to care for the Italian? What would they do if they couldn't him a new place to stay? These and many other questions passed through Ludwig's mind as he attempted to fall asleep. 

"If you need anything, you can wake me up." He felt is necessary that Feliciano knew that it was alright before they fell asleep. The last thing they needed was for him to be apprehensive about waking the German to help him to the bathroom and instead try to hold it and end up wetting the bed. This time is took him longer to fall asleep, too busy thinking of all the unanswered questions that the future held. They would figure out arrangement for everything eventually, but that wasn't his biggest issue. He needed to know how he was going to tell the Italian once his grandfather had been killed. It was only a matter of time, and the sooner the word about him spread the sooner it would happen. He might have to spend even more time soothing Feliciano after that, unless he managed to hand him off to someone else by then. What was it the old man had said about not treating this one like a burden? It was sort of hard not to at least think of it that way when his actions and decisions were completely revolving around one man who was once his enemy. It would have been easier to just shoot him back there... He always still could and come up with some excuse. He would wait until morning to see how things went to make a decision on that action.


	7. seven

Feliciano nodded softly. He hoped he wouldn't need anything because he didn't want to have to wake the German. He didn't take long to again fall asleep once he actually tried. Though for a moment he didn't want to try, he was much too worried and there was so much on his mind. After he finally managed to fall asleep he seemed to be a bit calmer than before. Had Feliciano been aware of what the German was thinking about he may panic himself again. He truly didn't want anything to happen to his grandfather. He would rather die himself. In fact while worrying about him, he was thinking of what he really would do if that happened. He would defiantly break down in tears but he wasn't sure what he would do after words. He would need someone to be there and to help him. Feliciano had also in fact thought that Ludwig would want to shoot him, in fact he was somewhat surprised that he didn't. He would very likely cry then too, trying to do anything it took to keep himself alive. Even if he had to do something he was entirely against he would. He didn't want to die. Especially if his grandfather died because that would mean he and his brother were all that was left and they would in fact need each other very much at that time.

When Ludwig woke up he was relieved to find that he hadn't been harassed all night long with requests and needs. Trying not to wake the Italian, he carefully crawled out of bed. Seeing as he had gone to bed earlier than usual to keep Feliciano company, he was also waking up even earlier than what he normally did. Except now he couldn't go and work out like he normally would first thing in the morning. Well, there were still last night's dishes to do, and he had to call in sick for the first time in his career, and he might as well start on breakfast. Later on he could sit the Italian down with a book or make a quick run to get some paint. 

Actually, it was still rather early so Feliciano should still be asleep for a while, if he made a short trip right now he could most likely get some paint and brushes and a canvas for him to paint on while the German did some errands. That outta keep him happy and entertained for a while. Plus, doing something old and familiar would probably calm down his nerves. It was official, he needed to get those things and the sooner the better. As much as he hated to have a dirty kitchen the dishes could wait; with Feliciano painting he would have lots of time to clean up without being disturbed. He grabbed his house keys and his wallet and jogged out.

Feliciano shifted slightly when Ludwig moved but he didn't wake up. He remained asleep, but he was still tense and slightly shivering. When the front door opened briefly and closed his head shot up. He looked beside him amd figured that Ludwig had gone out to do something far more important than keeping Feliciano company. He never would guess that Ludwig had gone out for him. 

With a soft sigh he laid his head back down on the pillow and stared up at the cieling. He didn't try to go back to sleep it just sort of came naturally. As his eyes slowly faded again he breathed out shakily and tried to relax. Feliciano managed to fall asleep again and he scooted around, adjusting himself restlessly. He couldn't help it. He was too afraid and worried and he was filled with so many emotions. Mostly negative emotions due to his current location, his grandfathers likleyhood of dying, the pain pills begining to wear off. It all made it so hard to sleep peacefully.

The trip had taken slightly longer than Ludwig had expected. Who knew there were that many types of paint brushes and that many different shades of each colour. He didn't even know how long he had been staring blankly at them before grabbing a package of assorted brushes and another one with a small pallet of colours. To keep Feliciano busy for a bit longer he went with two average sized canvases. At least he had found a place that was open this early. 

By the time that was all done he decided to just save time and buy some breakfast from a restaurant that we went to quite often. Of course they gave him a knowing look for ordering two meals. Then they started giggling when he asked what an Italian would like. He opened his mouth to object to theirs thoughts, since he had never bought breakfast for a one night stand, but decided to leave it as it was. It didn't even pay to explain it to them; they either wouldn't believe him anyways or he would get into trouble. Instead he silently took it and returned to his apartment. It didn't appear that anyone had stopped by to bother him, so the next question was if the Italian was still asleep. Leaving everything on the table he made his way back to the bedroom. 

"Feliciano, are you awake? I brought breakfast." He didn't look as relaxed as he had when Ludwig woke up. Maybe it would have been better to just stay here. He didn't even think his absence would be noticed.

Feliciano was sleeping do lightly by this point that just hearing the door open woke him. When Ludwig entered the room he sat up and nodded. 

"S -si Im awake." He replied softly scooting back and leaning against the backboard of the bed. He blinked softly up at Ludwig and yawned, stretching out a bit. "Is that what you left for?" He asked softly, leaning forward and resting his hands inbetween his legs on the bed. 

"And arent you going to go into work?" Feliciano would feel pretty bad if he was stopping Ludwig from going to work. If that was the case, Feliciano would very likley try to do something to make up for that when he could walk again. In fact once he could walk he felt like he'd be trying really hard to pay back Ludwig for everything. Perhaps not in money values but certainly in someway. He sniffled softly and adjusted himself to be more comfortable. His back stung a bit again but not nearly as bad as before and he could barely feel his foot anyways so that wasnt bothering him.

So he had heard him leaving; that explained why he suddenly recoiled and looked more unsettled by the time he came back. "I can't very well leave you here unable to walk." he responded with a shrug.

"I have some things I've been needing to take care of and this gives me the opportunity to do so." The second part he added to make sure that the Italian wouldn't think he was the sole reason for not going to work, even though he actually was. If Feliciano was shy about everything he was doing for him, that would only make it worse. After a moment Ludwig stepped closer to the bed, but didn't make a move to pick up the Italian. It was his foot so it was completely up to him if he wanted to continue to he carried around or when he thought he was good enough to attempt to walk. 

"I also picked something else up before getting food. I didn't think you'd wake up." He could simply just tell Feliciano what he got, but he preferred for him to see it himself to save the trouble of trying to explain it and what he did before the Italian got carried away. He didn't even know if he had gotten the right things so he didn't want to get his hopes up just to find out he was wrong. The safest move would be to wait until he saw it for himself to make the call on the quality of the items he had purchased.

 

Feliciano looked down slightly. "O-okay...I-I'm s-sorry if I'm inconveniencing you" Feliciano said softly. He shook his head and shrugged slightly. 

"It's fine. I went back to sleep afterwords it just scared me for a moment that you were gone. I'm alright though." With another soft sigh he sat up. He fiddled with his fingers again for a moment. Feliciano assumed that Ludwig was questioning whether to pick him up or not. He doubted he could walk yet and he assumed that the stitches would pop if he tried. 

"What did you do other than go food?" The Italian questioned, adjusting himself so that he would be easier to pick up. He didn't exactly know how to ask Ludwig to pick him up so he sat where he was without mentioning it. Though he was truly curious about what the German had done before getting food. He was also curious as to what Ludwig got for them to eat. Feliciano had questions again but he didn't want to ask any more questions than he was supposed to. He really wanted to try to be helpful and nod be such a big burden. He didn't want to make Ludwig upset, or overwhelm him. He was truly grateful that he had done this all.

By the way he moved himself, Ludwig was guessing the Italian wanted to be carried instead of attempting to walk on his injury just yet. He didn't blame him for not wanting to strain himself, and the German was getting used to it which was good because he would be doing this for a while yet. With being out of work for a while to care for the Italian, it was a good work out. Maybe he'd use the human behind as a weight while he was trapped here, watching him.

"It would just be a bunch of paperwork since we already caught your grandfather." he said simply as he slid his arms around the smaller man to pick him up. Honestly, he didn't even hate paperwork as most did; it was an annoyance but he enjoyed it more than doing nothing. They had everything taken care of so there was nothing else to do; they reached the end of their search and until they found something else to do it would be mostly paperwork and police work. 

As for the second part, the Italian would see what they got shortly. Hopefully he would like it and the breakfast as well. The woman had said that Italians eat rolls with some sort of sweet coffee so that's what he got for him, unlike the eggs and sausage with coffee he got for himself. Ludwig placed Feliciano down at the table, in the same seat that he had the night before.

"That bag is for you." he pointed to the bag of art supplies while sorting through the different foods.

Feliciano held onto the German and sighed softly. "o-oh..." He snuggled into Ludwig partially. He wasn't sure exactly how Ludwig felt about paperwork over taking care of him but he was sure that the other option was preferred. 

At being set down he readjusted himself slightly and turned his head to the bag. "Really?" He blinked and shrugged slightly, reaching for it and looking at what it contained. A wide smile spread across the Italians face. He stared down almost in disbelief for a moment and looked up at Ludwig, biting his lip softly. He was very happy with this. A basic art kit could accomplish so much more than people believed you just had to know what to do with it. He was happy that the German had thought of him while out and he was thankful. 

"Tante Grazia" The Italian said happily. He set the bag aside so that when he ate he wouldn?t ruin any of the contents. "Thank you so so much" He repeated a very similar phrase in English to show how truly happy and grateful he was for the gift...and really everything else. His mood had flipped from somewhat shy and afraid to the happy Italian he was last night, even if this time he was in a bit of pain


	8. eight

A small smile raised the corner's of the German's lips to know that he had gotten the right thing, and that it was making Feliciano happy to have received it. It was good that he was relaxing and becoming more comfortable in this environment. There was no telling just how long he would be here so he might as well get adjusted, though if he was still around when he was able to walk there would be more rules and a more distinct schedule out into place. As soon as he was back to full health he would participate in Ludwig's training. 

"You need something to do since you can't wander around." he explained simply as he placed the Italian's food in front of him and sat down with his own food one the chair he always sat on. It wasn't that he had a problem with any of the other spots, but from here he could watch the front door for any sudden intruders. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked with interest in his voice this time. It was time for the Italian to take more medication, but he didn't want to give him anything too strong if the pain was bearable,

Feliciano noticed that half smile and it made his smile grow. He looked down at the food that Ludwig set in front of him. "Grazie" He said softly, taking a small bite. It tasted very similar to a lot of things that he ate when he was in Italy and it was nice. He questioned to himself how Ludwig knew just what to get him but he shrugged it off and continued to eat it. When Ludwig asked his question Feliciano shrugged, swallowing what was in his mouth. 

"My back hurts more than anything but it's not entirely terrible. I can deal with it." He replied. "My foot is a little sore and other than that I think I am fine." He wasn't sore any longer from the pear though he was sure it would hurt to go into the bathroom. He was sure he could get used to that though, similar to how he got used to his grandfather leaning on him in the mornings. It was strange how afraid of pain he was even though it seemed to go away so quickly. He finished of what was left rather quickly and set the food aside with a small smile. He leaned against the table and looked at Ludwig. 

"Are you alright though? You've been doing a lot of carrying me and I may be lite but I don't want you to have to carry me if you don't want to. I can try to walk."

Ludwig was slightly surprised when the question was turned on him. Feliciano had been whipped and shot, yet he was asking about the strain for carrying him. He finished the last of his meal before standing to look through his cupboards for some medication. Whether he said he was fine or not, he had obtained a serious injury and it would be best to keep him on medication for a while longer. 

"I lift more than your weight for training. Carrying you is no problem. Take as long as you need too to heal. Though, if you wanted I could get you crutches." Finding what he was looking for, he took a pill in his hand to give to the Italian. He seemed in a much better mood so for now he would just give him the pain medication. After handing it along with a glass of water to Feliciano he took the now empty boxes off the table. Last night he had rushed the Italian to get some sleep but now they could continue to chat while he did the dished and cleaned up any mess left from dinner. He discarded the garbage into the trash can and began washing things. He had a feeling Feliciano had more thoughts and concerns because anyone would, and with him stranded on the chair he had every reason and opportunity to ask.

Feliciano blinked and tilted his head slightly. "Really?" Feliciano smiled and looked down to the bag again. Now that he had eaten he wanted to sort through the paints and such like he did with his own at home. He took the paints out of their package and began to sort them. Yes they came somewhat sorted already but Feliciano had a method for the way he set up paint. When he was handed pills he took them quickly and drank the rest of the water, setting the cup aside and continuing with his sorting. He loved to read the names of the paints. Some of them were comical and some were nicer, almost pretty. He took his favorite color, a color that luckily came with every set of paints he had ever found, and set it aside. The color was a dark blue color. Feliciano hummed softly. He did have questions now that he was more awake as well. 

"Have you ever had someone...someone who you knew you'd be the best of friends with. And when you become friends they want to leave? And when they do leave, they promise to come back but never do?" Feliciano didn't consciously ask that question it just kind of came out and when it did and he realized he bit his lip, thinking it was a ridiculous question to ask.

That was certainly an interesting and unexpected question. From the sounds of it, Feliciano was speaking from experience and now he was curious to hear the story. He placed the washed dishes on the counter, letting them drip dry slightly while he wiped down the counter. 

"Not exactly. I try not to make too many close friends. It's unwise incase someone gets sent to the front." he stooped what he was doing to lean against the counter and face Feliciano. 

"Why do you ask?" There had to be some big story behind this one. It was easy to tell what the basis of the story was, but there were always more details. This was one reason he tried not to make too many friends. They could turn around and break their promises, something he had much experience with. As a general rule people were untrustworthy, and he was no different when he was at work.

Feliciano shook his head slightly. He didn't think that question was necessarily something to ask. 

"i-it's just something that happened to me when I was younger it's nothing really. I had a friend who told me that he would come back. He went to war and he...he never came back. I was told that he w-was found b-but I never found out if he was dead or not" He turned his attention back to his paints, and shakily began to put them back in the packaging though this tie in his own organized manner. He then took out the brushes and began to work on organizing those as well. He didn't want to think about anything anymore. He just wanted to look down. He felt like such an idiot for evening mentioning it. He truly was going to break down in a moment and he didn't want Ludwig to see him crying anymore. He didn't want to be so weak as to cry every time something upset him. Feliciano held back tears and put the brushes away, laying his head down and burying his face in his arms. 

"i-I'm sorry..." He whispered softly. "i-it was a s-stupid th-thing to m-mention...I-I'm s-sorry." He continued to mumble under his breath. He didn't want to stop mumbling because he feared that of he did he wouldn't be able to stop crying.

Ludwig watched him as he told the story. It was a sad story to tell, and he understood why it would upset Feliciano to talk about it, he just hadn't exactly been expecting the shakes and the near tears to come again. It was such a long time ago, yet it still managed to bring out such strong emotions. The night before his tears and shakes had seemed to subside with a hug, and he was beginning to dislike seeing the usually cheery Feliciano so sad. It was his own fault for putting him in this situation. With a sigh he pulled a chair in front of Feliciano and sat down right next to him. He placed his hands on the Italian's shoulders and pulled him off the table to place him against his chest for a hug. Well, he was going to be good with women after this, that was one up side. 

"Nein, it's alright. Even bad things happen for a reason." he sighed, quoting a line that he wasn't even completely confident in. He understood the pain of people going to was and never returning. It was a heavy weight, especially not knowing if his friend was alive or not. 

"My brother had a friend who believed she was a boy when she was younger. She was quite certain that her boy parts would grow in once she was older." he smiled at the memory, trying to cheer up Feliciano. It was the best story he could come up with on such short notice.

Feliciano was slightly surprised that Ludwig pulled him into the hug so suddenly. "wh-what?" He blinked up at him somewhat nervously. At hearing the German's story the Italian couldn't help but to giggle sadly. He was still saddened by a lot of things and it all seemed to flow in at once. He felt so pained emotionally. But the German was trying so hard and Feliciano appreciated it. He buried his face into Ludwig's chest and sniffled lightly. 

"Th-That's r-ridiculous." He said through another sniffle. He hated crying so much and he was still trying so desperately not to cry anymore. The main problem he was facing was that he felt like such a large burden. To his grandfather. To Ludwig. Even his brother didn't want to stick around. Yes, Antonio needed Lovino but there were ways they could still see each other. It only seemed like Lovi cared for him right now. 

This hug of Ludwigs was helping just enough to give him the ability to hold back his tears. It made him feel like even though he may be a burden, at least Ludwig was trying to care. Someone was trying to make him feel better, even if it was the man who had caused some of his pain. Feliciano didn't care. He was far too glad that someone was trying to care who it was.

Ludwig moved out of the hug to look down at the Italian. "It's okay to cry sometimes." he grabbed a clean napkin off the table and handed it to Feliciano to dry his eyes and blow his nose if he did choose to cry. It was a good thing he had at least a little experience from females, though this was pushing it to a whole new level. He wasn't even sure that he had cried this much as a child. 

It made him wonder if the Italian had some sort of disorder to explain why he was happy one second and sobbing the next. If that was the case Ludwig would have to make extra sure that no one ever found him. With a mental disorder the higher ups would love nothing more to pry at him and try to figure it out, and how to cure it. He sat back slightly 

"If there is anything you need just tell me." he encouraged. He just wanted the tears to stop and the happy one to come back. There was no where he had to be at the moment so his entire day might just be spent here. If that was the case he didn't want to have to deal with a crying man the entire time.

Feliciano didn't move all that much other than letting go of Ludwig. He was still slouching over. He looked down to the ground and sighed softly. Feliciano had no disorder that he was aware of but it was a possiblity. He was just terrified right now. He delt with a fear in many different ways because one never always worked. He bit down on his lip and sniffled lightly.

"I-I'm...f-fine." He wiped his eyes with his hands and sat up fully, smiling though it was nothing like the smiles he'd given before. It was a sad and almost fake smile. 

"S-Sorry. I d-didnt mean to interupt anything. Y-you can f-finish...you d-dont have to comfort me" He said softly, continuing with that fake smile. With a soft sigh he looked back down, the 'smile' fading away. He fiddled with his fingers, expecting him to stamd and continue with his chores. He didn't want Ludwig to feel bad for him. That would make him being that more stressful. He was trying too hard to be easy to take care of.

Was it odd that his head ached to see that forced smile on the Italian's face? It was even worse than simply seeing him sad. It was torture to see Feliciano like this. The poor man had been through so much. First he had been taken in and abused. Then his grandfather had been taken and used against him. To top it all off he was being forced to stay here against his will. Every second of it was Ludwig's fault. With a sigh he leaned forward again and hugged the Italian once more. 

"You don't have to be strong anymore." Ludwig understood that he had to take care of his Grandfather and always be strong for him, but that wasn't necessary here. The German didn't need him to act strong right now. "If you keep bottling it up you'll only get sick." He patted Feliciano's back as he held him. Everyone needed to feel or risk serious mental and health risks. Seeing as the Italian was his responsibility he couldn't have him getting sick.


	9. nine

Feliciano looked back up at Ludwig and blinked softly. He shook for a moment more and quickly held onto the German again. He didn't realize how much Ludwig really did seem to care. He tried a final time to hold back tears but it failed and they came, flowing softly down his cheeks. He wanted to be strong, even if he didn't need to be. It was hard to hold everything in, yes. But it was hard to cry and let it all out. It was scary to let himself and his emotions free; especially to someone who he still had a slight fear of. He didn't know or really believe he could get sick by bottling up his emotions. He had done it for so long he didn't really believe that it affected him. He blinked at the German in confusion and sighed.

"E-Even some e-emotions c-can m-make you s-sick too." He whispered softly. It was nice to feel the German pat his back. Ludwig was so much more comforting than he would have expected.

Ludwig sighed at the response. It was true. There were some things that it would be better to not experience, but bottling them up was even worse. He was about to respond when he froze suddenly. No... It couldn't 

"Sheiße." he hissed to himself and jumped up suddenly. He double checked to make sure that the front door was locked before pulling a large shelf in front of it. Without a word to Feliciano he ran back into the bedroom to grab a bag and put the necessities into it. That included one change of clothes, his most valuable possession part if which being a few of his special toys, then he ran back into the kitchen to grab some canned foods and the art supplies. He waited in silence once everything was gathered to check if his assumption was right. At least three pairs of heavy boots marched up to the door followed by a heavy pounding. 

"Ludwig Beilshmidt we have received world that you are harbouring a member of the Italian rebellion and a prisoner of the third reich. Turn yourself in." The voice ordered. Ludwig bit his lip and threw the bag over his back while also picking up the Italian. It didn't matter if they turned themselves in now; it was too late for them. Their only chance was to crawl out the window in the bedroom window and down the fire escape.

Feliciano tilted his head and remained silent. He watched the German's panic in confusion and tilted his head slightly. At hearing the voice his expression became extremely worried. He held onto the German as he was lifted up, trying his best to remain silent. He didn't understand how they could have found out. He shivered lightly and gripped his hands into fists around Ludwig's clothing fabric. Why was it such a big deal? Didn't they know that he had basically shut down a good portion of the resistance? He deserved something for that. Feliciano bit down on his lip and closed his eyes tightly. Other than hold on tightly he didn't know what else to do. He was worried and afraid for not only his own life but Ludwig?s as well. He figured that this would get him in a lot of trouble and now Feliciano felt even more like a burden. He was trying so desperatly not to panic.

Ludwig felt slightly guilty for having to do this to Feliciano without first explaining what he was doing, but the couldn't know that they were here until they got a head start. He shifted Feliciano to over one shoulder so that he could more easily climb down the ladders. 

"One of the guards who was there must have seen us leaving. They could have even been listening in on us. No matter what we tell them I took you from prison, where you were supposed to stay, and brought you home." he explained quickly on his way down. This had been a stupid decision. He should have broken his promise and just left the Italian to die, but that just didn't feel right. His house could have also been bugged, or one of his neighbours could have told on him. The thing was: it didn't matter anymore. If they were caught they would both face punishment. Feliciano wouldn't be able to take what they would do, and Ludwig was his only chance to get away. He chose to stay in darker alley ways and make an attempt to reach the patch of woods outside of the city. It wouldn't be a short trip, but it was his and Feliciano's only chance to live. Others had tried to run, and they were always found. Hopefully Ludwig's expletive in tracing them would help give him the knowledge on how to get away alive.

Feliciano held onto Ludwig, even from his shoulder he still did so. He was truly scared now. He could barely take what Ludwig did to him and there was no way he would be able to handle what they would do to him if they got a hold of Ludwig and he. He was shaking but he was trying to be quiet because he knew if he said anything he would cry and he cried rather loudly. He couldn't do that right now. It would give them away. He didn't just want himself not to be hurt but he also didn't want Ludwig to be hurt. Not because of him. That would make him feel terrible and he couldn't let that happen. He just nodded when Ludwig explained what he needed to understand and shut up otherwise. It was safest. He made no noise while doing so but he silently prayed for them to make it. He prayed for the mercy that could get them to a place that was safe and far away. He hoped that his prayers were heard because it sure seemed that the man he prayed to wasn't hearing very many of his prayers anyways. But he continued to try.

They were a couple blocks away before the other guards got into the apartment. They didn't have long to get away, but they did had some time. It wouldn't be enough to run all the way to the woods, that was for sure. There were other ways to get there. Ludwig ran out of the alleys and quickly flagged down the first car he saw. He could have simply told the man driving that he was a soldier and he needed the vehicle for official business. There was no time for that so instead he dragged the man out at gunpoint and left him in the street for those hunting them to find. He placed Feliciano and their gear into the back seat before climbing into the drivers seat and speeding off. They just needed to follow streets that wouldn't have enough traffic. 

"Mein gott." he muttered and slammed his hand against the dashboard. No, he wasn't angry with the Italian. Instead he was angry at his own government for doing this. Nothing they had done was morally or ethically wrong and yet they were being hunted like dogs. "Feliciano, are you alright back there?" he asked with concern. With his injuries he was almost dead weight, but dead weight that he refused to leave behind.

Feliciano remained silent though he was shaking in slight fear. The soldiers scared him enough just being there and being chased out of the house made him terrified. If the others weren't enough Ludwig was beginning to scare him again. He seemed so tense and Feliciano felt bad. He almost wished that Ludwig had desided to leave him. He would be hurt but Ludwig wouldn't be burdened with him. The German's actions towards the innocent man from the car worried him. He squeazed his eyes shut and clung tighter to Ludwig until he was in the car. Feliciano grabbed shakily at the seat belt and tightened it around him. After asuring he was buckled up he curled up to the best of his ability, head downward facing. He remained silent until he was spoken to. 

When he was spoken to, he looked up from his somewhat hurdled position and nodded. "S-Si im alright"he gave up a fake smile. He was starting to understand why the German soldiers were so badly talked about. They hunted even each other when mistakes where made. They really were doing a few things that made them seem insane. But at the same time...this one really seemed like he cared about Feliciano, though he could just be keeping his word to Roma.

This was not a good situation to be in at all. He didn't want to tell Feliciano for fear of his reaction, but Ludwig was certain that there wasn't a very big chance of them getting out of this alive. People don't often get away in this sort of situation. They would be hunted like animals until they were caught or had been lost long enough to be pronounced dead. Abandoning Feliciano to them would give him more time to get away since their interest would be mainly in continuing to get information, but for some reason he just couldn't bring himself to it. He had made a promise to the grandfather that Feliciano would be safe. Besides, if they were both going to die anyways they might go down fighting. 

"We'll be fine. We'll go to the woods and run until we can't go any father and set up camp to make our plan." he explained. The flaw with this plan was that he would be the one running and carrying Feliciano and their pack. Even a strong man could get worn out after a while of carrying all if that. The Italian might be forced to try walking before he was ready. Ludwig would carry him as far as he could, but after that they would either have to stop for a break or Feliciano would have to do some walking.

Feliciano nodded slowly. "S-si okay I-If you need me to I cam try to walk. I managed to walk before when I broke my leg. Im sure I can do it now" he said softly. A broken leg was much worse than a bullet in the foot so he was sure that he would manage enough. He didnt want to but he would if necessary. That and the fear may be able to push him farther. 

"I'm really sorry" he added softly. He felt the need to appologize for making the German have to deal with so much. Also he was in trouble with the law now. Feliciano felt as if It was kind of his own fault. He shut up now, remaining silent so that Ludwig could focus on driving. He didnt want to be disruptive in anyway. He wanted to make sure that the chances that they lived were as high as possible even though he knew they were low no matter what he did.

Ludwig sighed and shook his head. They would test his ability to walk once they got there and he needed him to try. The silence made it easier to concentrate on his driving, but those weren't the only thoughts that came with the silence. They hardly knew each other, but they were fleeing other soldiers together. They would either get out of here alive together it die together. They would be together until they were caught. These thoughts continued running though his head while doing anything he could do weave around pedestrians and other vehicles. Thanks to taking back streets they managed to reach the stretch of woods in under half an hour. Driving as far as he could into the wooded area, Ludwig left the car somewhat hidden from the road. That's where he parked it before jumping out to gather the Italian and this pack. 

"I should be apologizing." he said finally. "I didn't have to drag you into this." They had a long day of walking ahead of them. They had a head start, but they would eventually have to stop to rest. That would give them lots of time to catch up so they needed to make themselves scarce before then.

Feliciano shook his head. "What else could you have done? Torturing me was your job and taking me home...well it was that or leaving me..or killing me...nothing you did is against anything...right?" The Italian didnt see how it could be Ludwigs fault that they were here. "Im the Italian. They are very likley more out for me than you." He muttered. He sighed and held onto Ludwig again. 

"I dont think you should be appologizing at all" he saud softly. He nuzzled into the German to get comfortable once in his arms.he was worried but he needed to relax so that he was easier to carry. He hated being carried around already. It felt like he couldn't do anything on his own anymore and he couldnt stand that. He had to be strong at some point and now, he wished he could but knew they didnt have the time.

As they walked Ludwig began laying out a strategic plan. They would walk in circles and odd patterns to throw off any dogs that came after them; Feliciano was technically an escaped prisoner after all. The German swallowed hard. If they were this close to catching them, he didn't want to imagine what they were already doing to the old man. Feliciano needed to keep his hoped up, so he wouldn't tell him about that. As far as he would find out his grandfather would be perfectly fine. 

"Either way, it's too late to change it. We just have to survive." he stated. Come nightfall they would have to make camp somewhere to avoid the animals that come out at that time. Most likely they would need to find a cave that they could barricade off. It would feel like a very long walk if they didn't find a way to entertain themselves, but he couldn't think of many interesting stories to tell the Italian about his own life. 

"Since I'm in charge of the walking, you can be in charge of story telling to make this seem shorter." Even with the sun this high in the sky they had at least seven hours before it was time to make camp.


	10. Update Chapter, not Story, Please read.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have to make an announcement about this story.

So this story was heavily based off of a role play I did on Instagram. Unfortunately I did not finish copy and pasting the role play before the person I was doing it with deleted their account so their responses are gone. All I have is mine and a basic knowledge of where the plot went. In short, I will be continuing this but it will take a long time because I will have to completely rewrite the rest. There isn't much left to write but it will take quite a while. I apologise for this inconvenience I know this is one of my more popular stories. This will be deleted before I post any other parts of the story but I plan to write the whole thing before I post it


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